Ann Elizabeth Ridley

Ann Elizabeth Ridley was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Ann was born on February 9, 1950 at West Seattle General Hospital in Seattle, Washington. Her parents were Robert and Gertrude Ridley. Ann was raised in Seattle, Washington. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Ridley household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Ann was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Ann was raised with five siblings. She had one older brother, Scott, two younger brothers Dave and Barney and two younger sisters Michelle and Susan. Ann was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Ann and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Ann was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Ann was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Ann developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Ann took part in bicycling, outdoor neighborhood games (street baseball, red light/green light, mother may I and hide & seek), and playing on the "Tarzan Swing". She was a Girl Scout. In her spare time she liked pinch her siblings to get her way, knitting, sunbathing, picking huckleberries and making pie. However, what Ann enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Ann as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She graduated from Ingraham High School in 1968. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Home Economics. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Harold Reasby. Being a member of the Honor Society. Ann was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Ann always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Ann was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Ann was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Ann to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of her best friends were Diane and Chris, Ebert and the Johnson girls. Later in life, she became friends with LesLae McDonald, Sharon Hill, Rikki Morrison and her many friends and co-workers at the Veteran's Administration.

Ann brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Ann was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Ann was blessed with one child, one son Greg. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Jaden, Madeline and Aspen.

Ann greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Ann enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Ann was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was adjudicator. She was employed for 36 years by the Veteran's Administration. Ann worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Ann liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Ann always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were facebook games, romance novels and cooking shows, sewing and knitting. Ann was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Ann found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, she could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. She applauded those who won, and she enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find herself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Ann played softball, archery and powder-puff football. Recreational sports included bowling, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. She would watch her favorite sporting events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were Seahawk football and Mariner's Baseball.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Ann was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Ann preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. Ann was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Ann was a leberal, but did not involve herself in politics.

Ann enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Ann appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Ann always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Lake Wenatchee.

Ann was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Ann’s favorites was Tinkerbell her Siamese Cat. They were best friends for 10 years. Her family was rounded out by her 3 cats, Jasper Tempest and Suzie Q.

When Ann’s retirement finally arrived in 2005, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found new pleasure in her grandchildren and Facebook. Even in retirement, Ann continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Ann Elizabeth Ridley passed away on March 14, 2011 at Edmonds Swedish Hospital. Ann fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her son Greg, her grandchildren Jaden, Maddie and Aspen, her brothers Scott, Dave and Barney and her sisters Michelle and Susan. Services were held at Evergreen Funeral Home. Ann was laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery in Everett, Washington.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Ann Elizabeth Ridley. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.