Robert Worrell Ridgway

Robert Worrell Ridgway died on August 6, 2011 after a long illness. He was 72 at the time of his death. After a stint in the Army, he returned to school and received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire. He did his post-doc at Princeton University, and then taught Chemistry at Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina and Rollins College in Florida. He came to Washington DC in 1979 on a sabbatical from Rollins and worked at the American Chemical Society on their educational programs. In 1984, Dr. Ridgway moved to Saint Louis to serve as Assistant Dean of the Engineering Department of the Washington University running a 3-2 dual degree program. In 1993, the family returned to Northern Virginia, where he worked as a self-employed computer consultant until he retired in early 2000.

Dr. Ridgway is survived by his wife Erika; his sons Robert and Bradford Ridgway of Phoenix and DeLand, FL; three step-children: Kathryn D. Smedley, Keith A. Douglas, Kevin T. Douglas; and 12 grandchildren. Friends of the family are invited to visit the family at their home in Alexandria at any time. A memorial dinner will be planned for the end of August. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make donations to Capital Caring, 5568 General Washington Drive, Alexandria, VA, or to Green Springs Gardens in Alexandria.