Paul Nathanael Ridolfi

Paul Nathanael Ridolfi, 79, of Greensboro, North Carolina, died on August 17, 2026.

Born on January 23, 1947, in Richmond, Virginia, to Alfonso and Mattie Kidd Ridolfi, Paul grew up in Richmond and El Paso, Texas. He graduated from Wheaton College and McCormick Theological Seminary, where he later earned his Doctor of Ministry degree.

Paul devoted more than 50 years to Presbyterian ministry, serving congregations in Mount Airy, Greensboro, and Fayetteville, North Carolina; Grafton, West Virginia; and Linlithgow, Scotland. His ministry reflected a deeply held belief that faith called people not only to reflection but to action. He cared about fairness and equality, asked difficult questions, spoke plainly, and challenged himself and others to consider what faith asked of them.

In 2001, as Paul considered what his “job description” for retirement might be, he put into words a mission that captured much of what had guided his ministry and would continue to guide his life: to pursue wisdom and understanding, promote mercy and justice, and enjoy life with God and others. He lived those words through learning, serving, questioning, and staying connected to the people he cared about.

Paul loved books—not simply reading them but living among them. Bookcases filled every available wall of his home, reflecting a wide-ranging curiosity about history, faith, politics, and literature.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, often delivered with a dry wit and a healthy dose of sarcasm. Paul loved cooking and trying new recipes while maintaining a somewhat flexible interpretation of expiration dates. His family remembers, with equal parts affection and amusement, the freezer-burned pizza, microwave pasta, and other culinary adventures.

A lifelong bargain hunter, Paul was always looking for a good deal—though quick to offer his own warning: “Be careful, you can go broke buying bargains.” His grandchildren, who knew him as Pop-Pop, could count on him arriving with whatever food he had recently found on sale. Whether anyone needed quite that much food was beside the point.

Paul also enjoyed working in the yard, refinishing furniture, feeding the birds, rooting for the Virginia Cavaliers, and old Mercedes, several of which passed through his hands over the years.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Timothy John Ridolfi.

He is survived by his children, Stephen Edward Ridolfi and Jane Ridolfi Hoppen (Braden), both of Raleigh, North Carolina; and his grandchildren, Andrew Paul Hoppen and Ella Welch Hoppen.

Per Paul’s wishes, memorial gifts may be made to Vandalia Presbyterian Church, 101 West Vandalia Road, Greensboro, NC 27406.

Funeral service arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Hanes-Lineberry Sedgefield Chapel is honored to serve the Ridolfi family.