V. Joe Ridgeway

Vincent Joseph (Joe) Ridgeway died peacefully on Monday, January 28 at a care facility in Denver with his family at his bedside. Joe was born in Lynch, Nebraska on July 19, 1920 to the late Florence and Irwin Ross Ridgeway and raised on their farm outside O'Neill, Nebraska. He was the fifth of seven children and the first baby born in the then-new Holt County Hospital. Poverty, the Dust Bowl and a dislike of farming drove Joe from the farm in his early teens. After fleeing the farm Joe went to live and work on an uncle's ranch for a year before moving to Omaha, Nebraska to live with his Aunt Adeline. There he worked at his cousin's rug cleaning shop, hauling and beating rugs, before landing a job with O'Keefe Elevator. Joe joined the US Army at the start of World War II where he taught radio and electronics to servicemen. After being honorably discharged, he moved to Denver and met his future wife, Patricia A. Denvir at the Cathedral's Young Persons Club. They were married in 1953, the same year that Joe, who never had a high school education, received his B.A. from Regis College. They celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary in 2009 before Pat passed in 2010. Pat and Joe reared six sons and Joe had eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild at the time of his death. Throughout his life Joe never stopped preaching the gospel of a good education. Pat and Joe were founding members of Notre Dame Catholic Church in southwest Denver and were active in many ministries throughout their entire lives. After a long career as District Service Manager with Otis Elevator in Denver, Joe retired due to health concerns in 1978. In retirement, Joe became involved with many volunteer activities, including being a docent at the Denver Zoo, assisting with the resettlement of refugees from the Vietnam War (a number of whom he sponsored) and supporting the Arthritis Foundation. He was honored with the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award in August 1990. Joe also took the opportunity in retirement to travel, usually with Denver Zoo trips, to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and South America. Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Pat, his son and daughter-in-law, Vincent and Chris Ridgeway and their unborn child and his siblings Jack, Maggie, Gladys, Butch and Chuck. Joe is survived by his sons, Daniel (Claudia), Robert, Thomas, Patrick (Kate), and James (Elena); his brother Don Ridgeway of Casper, Wyoming, his grandkids and numerous nieces and nephews. Rosary Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 7:00 PM and Funeral Mass and reception on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 10:00 AM, both at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 2190 S. Sheridan Blvd. Interment at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Please share memories of V. Joe and condolences with his family by signing the online guestbook below.