JOHN F RIDDICK - CLASS OF 1964

JOHN F RIDDICK - CLASS OF 1964

Riddick, John F. of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

1941 – 2017

John Riddick, 75, of Mt. Pleasant passed away Monday, March 13, 2017, at his home with his loving wife at his side.

John’s funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 17, at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home with Wally Hostetter of Mt. Pleasant Community Church officiating. A luncheon will immediately follow at the Community Church (1400 W. Broomfield, Mt. Pleasant). The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. and on Friday one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions may be made to Park Library at CMU. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.

John was born October 12, 1941, in Kalamazoo, MI, son of the late Parker and Frances (Crowell) Riddick. He married Joyce Ridoutt on August 21, 1965 at the Free Methodist Church in Spring Lake, MI.

From 1966-1968 he served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. John received both his bachelor’s and master’s degree in History from Western Michigan University. He later received a second master’s degree in Librarianship from the University of Michigan.

One of his first assignments was as a librarian at Iowa State University from 1969-1979. In 1979 he began working at CMU’s Park Library, overseeing all aspects of serial journals. In 1993 he was promoted to head of technical services, retiring in 2005.

While at CMU he served on campus beautification and other committees, most notably NASG (North Atlantic Serial Group), encouraging other librarians to communicate and share resources.

His greatest area of passion was that of the British Rule in India, which began in 1599. He loved traveling to Great Britain to study documents and authored three books: “The History of British India”, “Who Was Who In British India”, and “Glimpses Of India”. John’s life centered around work and helping others.

He was dedicated to scholarship, but more than anything, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Joyce; sons, Eric Riddick of Ann Arbor and Brian Riddick of Mt. Pleasant; son-in-law, Ron (Lisa) Horning of Mt. Pleasant; and three grandchildren, Corey and Lauren Horning and Corbin Crain. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Kristina Riddick in 2009; one sister; and one brother.