Obituary of Lester William Ridings

Lester William Ridings passed away quietly in his sleep on Thursday, July 20, 2017. Les was born in Orange, NJ and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  He was a longtime resident of Cedar Grove, NJ where he lived with his beloved wife of 64 years, Joan, and their two sons, Barry and Keith. He proudly served his country from March 1943 to December 1945 as a sergeant and squad leader of the 101st Airborne Division, 327th Glider Infantry, Company H. He fought in the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic service in combat.  Les graduated from The Manual Training High School in Brooklyn, NY in June 1941 and the Lincoln Technical Institute, in Union, NJ.

For over 30 years, Les was the President of Two-E's Electric Corporation, a company he founded along with his wife Joan, and Albert and Irene Tewes.  Following his retirement from Two-E’s Electric, Les worked as an electrical inspector for the Township of Verona.  He also volunteered his time and services to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newark helping to build homes for those in need.  He was a parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena RC Church and a member of the Clifton Road Runners club.  He was an avid runner participating in marathons throughout the US and around the world as well as local events throughout New Jersey.  

Ever supportive to his family and friends, his generous spirit will be missed.  He took great pride in supporting his sons and grandsons throughout their high school years. 

Les is survived by his two sons Barry and Keith, his daughters-in law, Ann and Marguerite, his five grandchildren, Alexander, James, Andrew, Jason and Nicholas, his five grand daughters-in-law Claire, Noelle, Whitney, Kaitlyn and Anne, six great grand- children, Oliver, Grace, Mabel, Charlie, Jane & Piper.  His sister, Isabelle Rosengren, predeceased him.

Visitation is Tuesday, July 25, 2017 from 2 to 4 p.m.  and 7 to 9 p.m. at Hugh M. Moriarty Funeral Home, 76 Park Street, Montclair, NJ 07042. Visit www.moriartyfuneralhome.com for driving directions and online condolences.  Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 26 at 10:00AM at St. Catherine of Siena, 339 Pompton Ave., Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Interment to follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair, NJ.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to:

SCS – The Heritage Fund

St. Catherine of Siena

339 Pompton Avenue

Cedar Grove, NJ 07009

OR

Alzheimer's Association Greater New Jersey

3 Eves Drive, Suite 310

Marlton, NJ 08053

https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?11461.donation=form1&idb=1892408714&df_id=11461&mfc_pref=T&11461.donation=root