Chuck Ridenour Obituary, Death – Charles Richard “Chuck” Ridenour, II, 61 years old, passed away on Friday evening, December 23, 2022, at The James at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. He was a resident of Shelby. His death came after a protracted struggle against a variety of health problems. Chuck was born in Shelby on November 8, 1961, and he completed his high schooling at Shelby High School in 1980. During his senior year of high school.
Chuck would listen to football and basketball games on the radio, type articles on the typewriter that belonged to his grandmother, and then drop them in the mail slot at the office of the Shelby Daily Globe, which had begun printing with Chuck serving as a correspondent. This sparked what would turn into a devotion that would last for more than 40 years to his career with the Globe, where he served as the Sports Editor and always kept Shelby readers up to date on all sporting events, particularly Shelby Whippet Athletics.
It would be an understatement to say that Chuck was a significant benefactor to the young people of Shelby. Chuck was able to learn the first names of every young person in Shelby because of his work with the Globe and his photography business, Ridenour Photography. He committed this information to memory and used it frequently. Chuck photographed teams and individuals.
Including the All-Ohio Athletes at Shelby High School, for a number of years, beginning with youth sports at the YMCA and continuing through the sports careers of students at Shelby City Schools. Students were able to relax thanks to his gentle demeanor no matter the circumstances, but this was especially true when they and their families did not have the financial means to purchase photographs. Because he was such a generous person, he made sure that all of the student-athletes had their pictures taken, and if there was a problem with money, he paid for it himself.
Chuck’s writing earned him a number of accolades in the professional world over the years, including several from United Press International and the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Media Service Award for their Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Program. Nevertheless, when he was presented with the Charles C.W. Williams Sixth Man Award, he felt the greatest sense of accomplishment and pride. It came as quite a shock to him when his name was called out as the winner while he was standing around waiting to take a picture of the person who had won.
Bowling was one of Chuck’s favorite pastimes, and he once bowled a perfect game of 300 at the Shelby Rhythm Bowl. In addition to that, he was extremely active with the North Central Ohio Soapbox Derby for over 25 years, during which time he served as director for a number of those years. His interest in trains, particularly steam engines, was likely instilled in him by his grandfather’s job on the B&O Railroad.
This fascination with trains eventually became something that he delighted in passing on to his grandchildren as a hobby they could all enjoy together. If you knew Chuck, you probably saw him at sporting events with a camera around his neck, his signature BiC 4-color ballpoint pen in one hand and a steno pad in the other. This is a sight that has been familiar to residents of Shelby and the communities that surround it for many generations.
Chuck wed Pamela Sue Kemplin on the 22nd of June in the year 1985. Pam is survived by her husband, Charles Richard Ridenour, III; their children, Brooke (Alex) Alt and Charles Richard Ridenour, III; their grandchildren, Addison and Mason; his mother, Carol Anne (Kaylor) Ridenour; his siblings Carl (Rhonda) Ridenour, Craig (Tanya) Ridenour, and Cathy (David) Green; Pam’s in-laws Marsha (Greg) Chase, Terri Kemplin Howard, and Ed ( Chuck’s father, Charles Richard Ridenour, Sr., as well as his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Henry Edward “Ed” Kemplin, Sr. and Claris (Adkins) Kemplin, Sr., passed away before him.
At the funeral home of Penwell Turner located at 168 West Main Street in Shelby, where the funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 10:30 am, the family and friends of the deceased are invited to pay their respects on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 from 1 to 3 and from 5 to 7 pm. The services will be officiated by Reverend Lester Champer, and burial will take place in Oakland Cemetery in Shelby afterward. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The Shelby Foundation, which can be found at 142 North Gamble Street, Shelby, Ohio 44875. This is where a scholarship in Chuck’s honor will be housed and administered.