Donald Lee Ridgway

"South Hadley-Donald L. "Don" Ridgway, 83, passed away after a long battle with multiple diseases on August 10, 2016. He was born on June 4, 1933 in Stamford, CT, the son of the late Leon A. Ridgway and his wife, Eva Alma Knuth. His father's family were original settlers of New Jersey, and his mother's family were immigrants from Denmark. Don was raised in West Haven and Hamden, CT, as well as Cambridge, NY, the family moving as his father's employment was modified. A distinguished graduate of the University of Connecticut ROTC program, Don graduated from pilot training school in June, 1957 and was sent to Greenville, SC, where he flew C-124 aircraft and became the squadron supply officer. After a brief illness, he met his wife, Esther Hoover, he was sent to Athens, Greece, and was attached to the US Embassy. While there he flew C-47 aircraft for two years, until he was transferred to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, to fly C-124 airplanes in tactical and transport missions. He became proficient as an examiner and was head of the flight simulator for a brief period before being transferred to C-141 aircraft. In March 1970 he was transferred to the ready reserve at Westover Air Force Base, MA, as the chief pilot and head of training and standardization. In 1976 the unit was reassigned to fly C-130 aircraft on tactical missions. He retired in September, 1984, as a Lieutenant Colonel, Director of Safely for the 439th Wing and base, with 13, 000 flight hours and 1250 hours as instructor in the flight simulator. He received the Air Force Commendation Award for setting the highest number of flight hours in a reciprocating aircraft in one year and both the AFCA and the Meritorious Service Award for accident investigation work and overall flight safety achievement. Don was married to Esther for more than 58 years, and is survived by his wife, and four children, Leon Alan II and his wife Sharon, Jane Ridgway Joslyn, Donna Ridgway-Skibel and husband William, Carolyn Staples and husband Robert, as well as seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Besides his immediate family he has a brother, Robert Alan in Warwick, RI, and a sister, Jane, in Myrtle Beach, SC. Both Don and Esther are Life-Deacons of the Second Baptist Church of South Hadley. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 27th at 11:00 a.m. at the Second Baptist Church. He will be cremated and the ashes spread over his woodland property in north-central Maine. Beers and Story South Hadley Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Karol Anne Shaw Scholarship Fund, c/o Second Baptist Church, 589 Granby Rd., South Hadley, MA 01075 "