Obituaries Oct. 21, 2008

Shirley Ann

Riddle

Shirley Ann Riddle (nee Regal), 79, died Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer.

Born in Elyria on March 5, 1929 to the late Ted and Fern Regal, she lived most of her life in Huntington Township. She was currently living in Sullivan.

Mrs. Riddle was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Donald Riddle, manager of Findley State Park for 34 years. Together they worked tirelessly to develop then-Findley Forest, into the Findley State Park of today. The two were avid campers, bird watchers and gardeners. She was active in the quilting group at Herrick Memorial Library, and was a member of the Penfield Community Church.

She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Laura Riddle (Peter) Brown of Rochester Township; son, David Riddle of Homerville; brothers, Jim (Marilyn) Regal of Wellington, Bill (Phylis) Regal of Lodi, Phillip Regal of New Philadelphia, Ohio; and sisters, Marilyn (Richard) Foster of Winter Haven, Fla., and Cheryl (Kenny) Gallatin of Ashland County; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home on Monday, Oct. 20, with Pastor Chris Reutepholer officiating. Burial followed at Rochester Cemetery.

Memorials are requested to Hospice of the Western Reserve, 300 East 185th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44119. Condolences can be express online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.

Ralph W.

Lange

Ralph W. Lange, 74, of Wellington, died Oct. 12, 2008.

Born in Jamaica, N.Y. to the late Edmund and Martha Lange, Mr. Lange attended the Woodrow Wilson Vocational High School. He served his country in the Marine Corps from 1953 to 1957. He and his family moved to Wellington in 1989.

Mr. Lange was a tool and die maker by trade and a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers. A few of his accomplishments include working on the Apollo Lunar Landing Module while at LTV Corporation in Detroit, Mich. His name is included on one of the Lunar Landers left on the moon. He worked at Hughes Aircraft Company in Tucson, Ariz., where he was instrumental in the design and fabrication of the primary communication antenna (KU Band) for NASA's space shuttle fleet as well as key components for the Air Force's TOW and AMRAAM Missiles.

During his service in the Marine Corps, he spent 14 months in Japan and the Pacific as a heavy equipment mechanic with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

Mr. Lange spent time as the president of the Tucson Youth Hockey Club, during which time he was instrumental in the formation of the University of Arizona Icecats Hockey team, which grew into a successful nationally ranked program. He enjoyed working in his shop with metal, wood, and automobiles. He also liked rock hounding and gardening; he loved trying to figure out his computer. Mr. Lange also enjoyed U.S. history and has supplied the U.S Marine Corps Museum and the Rhode Island Historical Society with previously unknown information regarding Commodore Abraham Whipple, who fought for the colonies in the Revolutionary war.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sharon; their children, John Mitchell (Janet) Lange of Chandler, Ariz., William Ralph (Candy) Lange and Valerie Ann Lange and Albert McCarty, all of Wellington; and five grandchildren, Stephen Ralph Lange, Megan Elizabeth Lange, Devin Justice Lange, Alexis Cheyenne Lange and Charles Ronald McCarty. Mr. Lange is also survived by his siblings, Edmund G. Lange, Jr. of Baldwin, N.Y., Ruth C. Rieber of North Olmsted, Gertrude M. Besemer of Effort, Pa., Diana M. Ringh of Oceanside, N.Y., and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Monday, Nov. 3 at the Lorain County MetroParks Building, 535 Jones Rd. in Wellington at 2 p.m. Memorials can be directed to the Inn at Medina Hospice or any other local hospice program. Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, Wellington, assisted the family with arrangements and condolences may be expressed online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.