Reed Austin Riddle's Obituary
Reed Austin Riddle passed away on Tuesday January 31, 2023, after a long bout with Parkinson's.
Reed was born on December 7, 1942 in Oakland, CA to Reed King and Margaret (Gass) Riddle. His family moved to the Salt Lake City area a year later and settled in West Jordan. Reed was a standout star in athletics at Bingham High School, and boxed in the same gym as Gene Fulmer. He was recruited by the New York Yankees for spring training in the early 1960s, but lost his dream when a construction accident crushed his lower right leg. The doctors were able to save his leg by reassembling the shattered bone chips, though the leg was left one inch shorter. He met his future wife Verna while in the hospital; they were married on February 1, 1965 and had two children (Reed and Lee Ann). His life after that was a mixture of raising kids, coaching baseball, and racing outboard hydroplanes, as well as having of various hunting dogs and cats as members of the family. He also survived an attack while working as a clerk that left him with a TBI, likely a contributing cause of his Parkinson's and dementia.
Reed was preceded in death by his wife Verna, whose death he never really recovered from. He was also preceded by his parents and brother Ron. He is survived by his daughter Lee Ann, sisters Carla and Sheila, sister-in-law Beth, many nieces and nephews, and friends that adored him and his wife. He is also survived by his son Reed, Reed's wife Summer, and new granddaughter Violet who he was able to meet and see crawl before he passed.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your nearest animal rescue shelter. Reed did not want a memorial service, so we will have a Celebration of Life on May 21, 2023 in Salt Lake City in an outdoor place he enjoyed, when it is warm and flowers are blooming. Details are being planned, contact his son Reed at [email protected] to be updated.
Published by The Salt Lake Tribune from Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, 2023.
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