James L. “Jim” Ridenour, born August 19, 1942, died suddenly on August 20, 2015, while wrapping up a great day of fishing in Shelby County with his buddy Rick Roth.
A graduate of St. X High School, Bellarmine College and Spalding University in Louisville, Jim retired from teaching for 27 years at Robert Frost Middle School; and then worked at Shawnee and Seneca Golf Courses; pursued his passions for fishing and golf; read voraciously; worked crossword puzzles daily, walked three miles every day; wrote six-sentence stories, many of which he compiled in a published collection; hosted Louisville Cardinals football and basketball parties; and rarely missed the Cincinnati Reds on TV.
He leaves behind his lifelong love and wife of 47 years, Mary Jo; children Keith (Lana) Ridenour and Christine (Jerry) Lindsey; special grandson Reese Ridenour; mother Virginia Wilson and sisters Dallas Massa and Leza Rollins, all of Tallahassee, FL, sister Marla Ridenour of Sagamore Hills, OH, brother John Rieger of Ashland, KY, and sister Joyce Brinkman; former colleagues and students and members of his book club, lunch bunch, Sunday breakfast group, and monthly dinner group; golf and fishing buddies, nieces and nephews, and countless friends.
Jim fulfilled his stated goal to the end: “I want to go as long and as hard as I can, and help as many people as I can along the way.”
Visitation will be 3-8pm Sunday at Owen Funeral Home – Jeffersontown, 9318 Taylorsville Road, and 9am Monday prior to the 10am Funeral Mass at St. Edward Catholic Church, 9608 Sue Helen Dr., with interment to follow at Cave Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to St. Edward Church or charity of one’s choice.
If Jim had written his own obituary, he’d have found a way to write it in six sentences instead of seven.