Ridgway “Skidge” Moon

RIDGWAY "SKIDGE" MOON

They say that people are judged by their deeds. If that is so, then Skidge has met that most strict criteria. The life of a surveyor it is all about deeds for property and entities. Those deeds are measured in metes-and-bounds. That is the term for describing an entity using physical properties. And did Skidge ever define those properties. Skidge's first survey marker is located in Middletown, New Jersey.

Skidge was the born to Ridgway and Edna Moon on May 4th 1948. As the third Ridgway Moon in the family, he was gifted Skidge to keep confusion to a minimum. His grandfather was Ridgway (Ridge) Moon and his father Ridgway (Sonny) so as the third Ridgway, calling him Skidge seemed to be natural. Growing up in Middletown, Skidge's second survey marker was located west18 years later as he headed to Waynesburg College in western Pennsylvania. While in college, he heard about a music festival located in upstate New York. He was fond of retelling his heroics climbing the speaker towers at Woodstock. We will have to take his word for this adventure since he was deathly afraid of heights. Perhaps he was caught up in the moment?

After graduation his next marker had Skidge taking the advice of Horas Greeley. Skidge headed west to the Colorado mountains. He stopped in the small ranching, agricultural town of Steamboat Springs. It was the era of short haired local cowboys not particularly embracing the long haired hippies life style from the East. However, the long haired Skidge soon made fast friends even among those cowboys. He originally wanted to pursue a job with computers but at that time the unofficial motto of the town was "Cows not Condos." The jobs were cows, not computers. His knack for numbers got him a job as a surveyor for Dismuke and Dismuke, an engineering and surveying firm. Although the owner Mort Dismuke had some reservations about his long haired appearance, Skidge quickly became the go-to surveyor in the region. As they say, he knew where the survey markers were buried. He was the walking encyclopedia of local survey points. One of his favorite survey points was the Tugboat Saloon. It was the social hub in Steamboat Springs and he became the default mayor of this rag-tag group of construction workers, ski patrollers and ski school employees. After the Tugboat closed, he remained close friends with the owners Larry Lamb and Hank Edwards. His present court found him at Sunpie's Bistro where he cultivated a new, younger collection of souls.

D&D divided into an engineering and surveying company in 1987 and Skidge took the reins of the surveying group as president and sole owner. He kept the firm operating through the booms and busts of the resort real estate market until 2022 when he claimed to retire but every day found him in the office unable to forget those buried survey pins. In the meantime, Skidge was elected as the county surveyor following in his predecessor Mort Dismuke.

In 1998 Skidge was abruptly taken off the available bachelor roles when he married Mel Cook. Along with Mel, Skidge also wed a pair of rottweilers, Bruiser and Dozer. At 150 pounds each they were big enough to match Skidge's personality. Even their gruff temperament complemented Skidge's. Unfortunately, Mel passed away from a household accident in 2016. After Dozer and Bruiser followed Mel to the Rainbow Bridge, he brought another rottweiler, Dude, to his home on Melrose Lane.

Skidge fell ill in early October and was hospitalized in Fort Collins. As his condition worsened, he wanted to be at home and was transferred just the day before he joined Mel and the rottweilers. He is survived by his sister Cathy Holinger and nieces Lou Lou and Anna. Locally he is survived by hundreds of reprobates and patriarchs alike, among them dear friends Sarah Gagliano, JC and Steve Spiess.

A celebration of life will be held on his 78th birthday, May 4, 2026 at Sunpie's Bistro. Stay tuned. Ever the linguist, Skidgewas fond of saying:

"Turkeys are done, people are finished."

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