William G. Ridgeway M.D.

1934 - 2020

Ridgeway, William G., M.D.

Dr. William G. Ridgeway was born in Columbia, Boone County, Missouri, on Sunday, December 23, 1934, to George L. and Orpha J. Reed Ridgeway. He passed away on Friday, April 24, 2020, in St. Louis County, Missouri from COVID-19.

A private family committal service will be held at Olivet Cemetery in Columbia, MO and at a later date a memorial will be scheduled.

Dr. Ridgeway was a 1953 graduate of Hickman High School and was a valedictorian of his class. He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1957 with a major in Biology and a minor in French. Princeton offered him a year's study in France, which he declined, because it would delay his entry into medical school. He returned to Columbia and entered the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He graduated in 1961 and was a member of the first class that spent all four years on the Columbia campus.

After graduating from medical school, Dr. Ridgeway attended Duke University for his internship. Duke's internship program was evidently one of the most rigorous in the country, and he actually looked forward to fulfilling his military obligation. Other than combat, he thought that the Air Force could not be as demanding as Duke. He served two years in the US Air Force as a flight surgeon with the rank of Captain. He was stationed at Luke AFB and, although not a pilot, he qualified as a member of the Mach Buster's Club in a USAF F-100 Super Sabre. He was given a commemorative call name of "Eyeball" by the units he served.

Following military service, he completed his medical training at Washington University in St. Louis as a resident in Ophthalmology. He practiced ophthalmology for over 40 years in South St. Louis and South County. He had wonderful, interersting patients and served many families for 3 generations.

Dr. Ridgeway traveled extensively with his family and spent many holiday vacations alpine skiing. He was also an accomplished golfer (even though at one time a scratch player he always said his sister, Anne, was the better golfer), a tennis player, map collector and a World War II history enthusiast. He was passionate about Mizzou Football, Cardinal's Baseball and St. Louis Blues Hockey, of which he was a season ticket holder for 40 years.

He leaves his family and friends, many lifelong, who will miss him dearly, his wife, Karen; his marvelous son, William Jefferson, "Jeff", his wonderful daughter-in-law, Robin, and his clever and promising grandchildren, Eloise, William and Jackson of San Francisco. He leaves his sister, Anne Ridgeway Borgmann and her husband, John, and their family – niece, Marcia Borgmann Hart and her children Conor, and his son Bentley, Tessa and Tayah, and his nephew, Michael Borgmann, and his wife, Karin, and their children, Kaija and Thomas, all of Sioux Fall, SD. His cousin, Linda Ridgeway, of Columbia, MO. His nephew, Mathew Klaus, and his wife, Colleen; and his niece, Katura Klaus, all of St. Louis, MO. Robin's parents, Stuart and Rosalind Loomis, of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Bill was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, several aunts and uncles, and, recently, his brother-in-law, Kenneth M. Klaus.

Services: Due to do the extraordinary era in which we find ourselves, a gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date to celebrate Bill's Life. He was COVID-19 positive and made a brave effort to survive. Since his Barnes and Ridgeway families settled in the area before Boone was a county and Missouri was a state, it will be comforting for him to be back home and at rest.

The Ridgeway family would like to extend sympathy and condolences to all families touched by the coronavirus. Our hearts go out to you. Indeed, together, these times sadden and try us all – family, friends and those we know in our daily lives.

Arrangements are under the direction of Parker-Millard Funeral Service, 12 East Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203. Condolences may be left for the family at: www.parkermillard.com