Harvey Ray Riddlebarger of Concord, Virginia, died suddenly at his home on Sunday, November 4, 2018. He was 82 years old.
Ray, son of the late Lawrence Fonrose and Nellie Lugar Riddlebarger, was born on December 31, 1935 in Glen Wilton, Virginia. He grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland, graduating from Oxon Hill High School in 1954 and attending the University of Maryland. He married his beloved wife, Kay, in 1962. Ray and Kay moved to Concord in 1966 when he went to work alongside his father at Babcock & Wilcox, retiring in 1991. While working there, he received his associate’s degree from Central Virginia Community College.
Ray was a proud Korean War-era veteran of the United States Air Force and was a member of the Sampson Air Force Base Veterans Association. He was also an active alumnus of Oxon Hill High School and thoroughly enjoyed attending their many reunions and informal get-togethers and keeping in touch with his former classmates throughout the years.
Like his wife, Ray was a hard worker. He and Kay cleared the land their house stands on themselves, tree by tree. They also did an incredible amount of work building the house and clearing more land for gardens and orchards. In his younger years, Ray enjoyed playing softball and tennis, and he and Kay bowled in several leagues in Lynchburg.
A talented and meticulous woodworker, Ray made beautiful cradles and toys for his grandchildren among many other hand-crafted items. He was also a gardener who spent countless hours grafting and tending to grape vines and fruit trees as well as planting other trees, including a field full of Christmas trees.
Ray loved his family and enjoyed traveling, making several trips to Abu Dhabi in recent years. He also enjoyed watching boxing, football, and baseball – especially when his Washington Redskins and Nationals were playing.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Kay Lowe Riddlebarger (1942-2014), brother Samuel Riddlebarger, and granddaughter Mikaela Kaiser. He is survived by three daughters: Julie Riddlebarger (husband Charles Simmons) of Dover, Delaware; Karen Kaiser of Carrollton, Texas; and Brandy Clemenson (husband Scott) of Concord. Other family members include five grandchildren (Matthew Jackson, Kaethe Kaiser, Timothy Jackson, Nicholas Kaiser, and Paul Simmons), four step-grandchildren (Hunter Clemenson-Connolly, Desiree Hanus, Aiden Clemenson, and Quentin Clemenson), three step-great-grandchildren, 10 nieces and nephews, a host of brothers- and sisters-in-law and cousins, and a special, honorary granddaughter, Serenity Rankin.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the chapel of Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge with Reverend J. Glenn Linthicum officiating. The family will visit with friends on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 - 2:00 PM at Nicely Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Mt. Moriah cemetery in Botetourt County. Pallbearers will be Scott Clemenson, Timothy Jackson, Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Kaiser, Nicholas Riddlebarger, Paul Simmons, and Charles Simmons. Military graveside rites will be conducted at the graveside by members of the Curtis A. Smith VFW Post 1033.
To send condolences to the family online, please visit www.nicelyfuneralhome.com.