William Ridgely

He was born in Peoria, Illinois, on Nov. 9, 1955, to Shirley M. Ridgely and William D. Ridgely. He married Shelly Wheeler Ridgely on July 19, 2003, in Royal Oak, Michigan. She survives. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Sally M. Ridgely.

A 1974 graduate of Bergan High School in Peoria, and later Regis University in Denver, Billy had a successful career in construction sales, most notably for Owens Corning in Chicago. After retiring to Florida with Shelly in 2018, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends and traveling to even warmer destinations. Billy never met a soul he didn’t like, and the feeling was mutual, from new neighbors to people he kept in touch with since childhood. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.

In addition to Shelly, Billy is survived by his sister, Diane Daniliuk of Newberry, FL; niece, Jody Thieman (Jeff) of Newberry, FL; nephew, Jay Daniliuk of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and two grandnieces, Sydney and Avery Thieman.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Peoria. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services.

Burial will be in St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in West Peoria following the services.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Midwest Affiliate.