Jackie (Jack) Ray Ridenour, a man who passionately loved and cared for his family, friends and neighbors, passed away peacefully at 80 years old in his home on January 22nd, 2026. He was born in Habersham, TN on August 3rd, 1945 and grew up on Morley Mountain near Jellico, TN. These early years would leave a lasting impression on Jack as he referred to his upbringing as "the greatest childhood ever", growing up in the countryside along with his two parents and seven siblings. At the age of 18 he would leave home joining the United States Air Force and would be quickly deployed overseas to Germany, where he met and fell in love with a young local girl. Jack quickly realized he would not be able to live without Sylvia and asked her to make a bold decision in marrying him and returning to the United States. They were happily married for 57 years. He would later go on to become a beloved father to his two children and spouses Sabina & Dave (Bollenbacher) and Clinton & Ashleigh (Ridenour) and be blessed with a loving grandson named Maverick (Ridenour).

His perseverance and dedication to his family was intense, continually making sacrifices to provide and ensure their security. After leaving the military, he would go on to pursue a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and complete a 40-year long career in the insurance industry. Jack's workplace energy was legendary, and he was well known for his commitment to excellence while bringing a joyful spirit to the office daily in hopes of making a positive impact. He also volunteered a significant amount of his time to the Germania Society and played a large part in the club's early success with events like Octoberfest and Christkindlemarkt.

Jack's greatest achievement will be the legacy he leaves behind as he'll be remembered for the kindness and unselfishness he exemplified in his daily life. With complete disinterest in material possessions, Jack's only priority was to ensure that those closest to him felt loved, supported, and well taken care of. Many of those closest to him will remember Jack for funny sayings, a listening ear, his jolly spirit, or the way he offered himself in service at a moments notice. He truly was one of kind and the world will be a little darker without his bright spirit shining throughout. We will miss Jack tremendously as we search for the path forward without him but will learn from his example and try to implement the philosophies which governed his life. Choose happiness in everything you do and demonstrate kindness to others as you move throughout your life.

"We love you Dad".

A visitation will be held for Jack on Friday January 30th, 2026 from 9:45am -10:45am and followed by a funeral mass from 11:00am – 12:00pm at St. Columban Church, 894 Oakland Rd. Loveland, OH. Immediately following the service, a funeral procession will escort everyone to the Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery for a burial with military honors at 11000 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH.

In lieu of flowers we kindly ask that donations be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation if you desire:

https://t2t.org/donate/