Alan Ellis Riedel

Alan graduated from Ohio University in 1952 and married Ruby Pearl Tignor in Newark, Ohio the following year. They carried on a life-long love affair for 62 years with each other, with Ohio and with Ohio University.

After graduating from Ohio University, Alan was accepted into Case Western Reserve Law School where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. In June 1955, Alan received the top grade in the State of Ohio on the State Bar exam.

Upon graduation from law school, Alan accepted a position at the law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey in Cleveland, Ohio where he worked from 1955 – 1960.

He joined a client, Cooper Bessemer, now Cooper Industries, in Mount Vernon, Ohio in 1960 as General Attorney and retired in 1994 as Vice Chairman. Alan, Ruby and their three children moved to Houston in 1967 when Cooper Industries moved their headquarters from Mount Vernon.

During his life, Alan and Ruby have provided many scholarships, endowing 11 Cutler Scholarships at Ohio University and various athletic scholarships. Ohio University has honored Alan as Alumnus of the year in 1986 and with an honorary Doctor of Law degree in 1994. Ohio’s College of Business awarded Alan an “Achievement in Business” award in 1984. During that time, he completed the Harvard Advancement Management Program. In addition, Alan and Ruby have endowed a full scholarship at Case Western Reserve University Law School.

Always active in Civic and Community affairs, Alan served two terms on the Mount Vernon, Ohio City Council; Chairman of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas; Chairman of the Ohio University Foundation for five years; Chairman of the Houston Pops Orchestra Board; and Moderator and Trustee of First Congregational Church in Houston. His college fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, honored him with its highest award, the “Alumni Achievement Award” in 1990.

Alan served on several corporate boards which include Cooper Industries as Vice Chairman; Belden, Inc. in St. Louis; Gardner Denver as Chairman in Quincy, Ill.; The Standard Products Company in Cleveland, Ohio; First Knox National Bank in Mount Vernon, Ohio; Arkwright Mutual Insurance Company in Waltham, Massachusetts; and Factory Mutual International in Johnston, Rhode Island.

Alan is survived by his wife Ruby; son Ralph Riedel; daughter Amy Bone and husband John; son John Riedel and wife Betsy; Grandchildren Jennifer Stockhausen and husband Sean; Ralph Riedel and wife Emily; Matthew Riedel; Chris Bone; Michael Bone; Alyssa Riedel; Ben Riedel; Matthew Riedel; and great-grandson, Thomas Stockhausen.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 17th of June, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The funeral service is to be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 18th of June, in the chapel of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive in Houston.

At a later date, the family will gather for a private interment at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Alan Riedel to the Cutler Scholar Konneker-Ping Fund c/o Ohio University Foundation, P.O. Box 869, Athens, Ohio, 45701.