Gary Lee Ridgeway
RIDGEWAY, ST CLAIR, DRUMMEY, BECHTEL, WATKINS, HELMICK, HELRIGHT, LOWE, HAWBAKER, BOYCE, MCCORMICK, LESLIE, CONNER
Posted By: Karrie Craig (email)
Date: 7/19/2019 at 10:25:56
Gary Lee Ridgeway, 75, passed away at his home in Iowa City on July 7th, after a brief illness.
A celebration of life will be held at the Eagles Club in Iowa City Iowa on Sunday, July 14th at 1:00 pm. Gary's body has been cremated and will be laid to rest at a later date. Cards of Condolence and/or Memorials to Eagles Club in Iowa City, IA or Vernon Cemetery may be mailed to the family at 904 W. Taylor Avenue, Fairfield, IA 52556.
Gary was born on October 10th 1943 in Fairfield, IA, the son of Roy Earl and Louise (St. Clair) Ridgeway. He married Alicia Drummey and had two children, a daughter, Dawn Ridgeway Bechtel and a son, Anthony Ridgeway. Gary entered the Army on September 1st 1973 and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He married Debra Ann Watkins of Fairfield shortly after. While stationed in Hawaii they had a son, Nick Ridgeway in 1976.
Gary graduated from Fairfield High school in 1963 and then worked with his father at his roofing business, Ridgeway Roofing, before joining the Army and becoming a surveyor. In 1977 Sgt Ridgeway spent 180 days in Enewetak Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. He was one of the first of over 6,000 service men and civilian contractors, who would survey, lay out & build the Army base for those who would clean up the nuclear waste in the Marshall Islands. This would later be known as the TOXIC PARADISE. Upon returning to Fairfield, Gary worked for French Reneker Associates in Fairfield and later moved to Iowa City to work for Shive-Hattery Architecture & Engineering. In 1982 he became the Survey Party Chief for MMS Consulting in Iowa City until 2001. After retiring he worked as a driver at Advanced Auto.
Gary is survived by wife Debra Ridgeway, his children, one daughter, Dawn Ridgeway Bechtel (Todd) and her children Tara Helmick, Austin Helright (Allison), James Bechtel & Hunter Bechtel and one great grandson Leviticus Helright and two sons, Anthony Ridgeway (Barb) and his children Christina Lowe, Destiny Lowe, James Ridgeway (Lisa) & Quincy Ridgeway and one great grandson Daniel Lowe & Son Nick Ridgeway and his children Aidan Ridgeway & Haylee Ridgeway; his Siblings, Treva Hawbaker, Keota, Leota Boyce, Camdenton, Mo., Louisa McCormick, Moline, Betty Leslie, Aledo, Thomas (LeAnn) Ridgeway, Anamosa, and Sharon (James) Conner, Port Byron.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents Roy and Louise Ridgeway and his brother Rex Ridgway.
Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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