Jim Riddle

Jim Riddle, resident of the Oakland Community, United States Naval Veteran and husband of Ruth McKnight Riddle departed this life Thursday afternoon, June 20, 2013 at the St. Francis Hospital in Bartlett. He was 90 years of age and died unexpectedly of natural causes.

Services of Remembrance with Military Honors for Mr. Riddle will be conducted at 2 P.M. Sunday, June 23rd at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Mr. Riddle’s cousin, Rev. Joey Riddle of Pontotoc, Mississippi officiating. A visitation for Mr. Riddle will be from 6 to 8 Saturday evening at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland. Interment will be in the Fayette County Memorial Park Cemetery on Highway 64. Arrangements will be provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center — West Chapel at Oakland.

Mr. Riddle was born May 29, 1923 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam Riddle and Eunice Rodgers Riddle. He received his early education in the Pontotoc County School System where he was a member of the football team and in later years continued his education at Mississippi State University.

He was married April 16, 1944 to the former Ruth McKnight, also a native of Pontotoc County, who survives. Mr. Riddle was a proud veteran of the United States Navy, serving in the South Pacific during the World War II Period. He was a resident of Memphis before moving to Fayette County eleven years ago. He was a devoted member of the Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Memphis and in earlier years served as Sunday School Superintendent of the church.

He will be remembered as a master cabinet maker and for a number of years served as a construction supervisor for the Memphis Light Gas & Water Department. He had also been an employee of the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the Bellevue Baptist Church. Not one to retire, Mr. Riddle also served in past years as an event coordinator for the Mid-South Coliseum and as a young person was associated with the Flicker Sales Company in Memphis, the developers of the well-known children’s rocking horse.

In addition to his wife of 69 years, Mr. Riddle is survived by two daughters, Mary Yates and husband, James Doyle Yates of Oakland, Rita Schiavone and husband, Anthony Schiavone of Fort Worth, TX; his sister, Q-Jette Trusty of Olive Branch, MS; six brothers, B.E. Roberts of Byhalia, MS, Norris Roberts of Collierville, Myrle Roberts of Moscow, Pete Riddle of Bartlett, T.L. Riddle of Pontotoc, MS, Earnest Riddle of Pontotoc, MS; three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the St. Jude Tribute Program, P.O. Box 1000, Department 142, Memphis, TN 38148.