Obituary of John Underwood RIDGE

August 27, 1944 - Derby, England
December 24, 2019 – Calgary, Alberta

John Ridge, beloved husband of Letha and proud father of daughters Stephanie and Lauren of Calgary, AB, passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at the age of 75 years.

John grew up in the 17th Century village of Merton that was eventually absorbed into Wimbledon, then London, and was educated at Ewell College. After overcoming his heartbreak when colour-blindness prevented him from joining the merchant marine, he began working with the BBC. He left the UK in 1968 for New York and then Canada as a 24-year-old responsible for international sales of BBC television programming. He was often teased for being responsible for bringing Monty Python to North America. What started as a short-term posting quickly resulted in a lifelong devotion to being Canadian.

Successive postings across the BBC, and CBC, took him to Toronto, Winnipeg, Yellowknife and St. John’s. John particularly loved his time in the North where he was Executive Producer of all CBC Northern TV programming including "Focus North", the first weekly current affairs television program produced in the north that reflected the people and landscape of the Arctic from Alaska to Greenland. It was during this time and north of the Arctic Circle that he and Letha first met in 1982. They were both living in Yellowknife where their first daughter, Stephanie was born in 1987.

John joined ‘management’ as Director of Television for CBC Northern Services (now known as CBC North) and was later transferred to St. John’s as Director of Television for Newfoundland, where their second daughter, Lauren was born in 1988.

John and Letha moved with their young family to Calgary where John’s life was enriched by his involvement in Rotary. Introduced by his father-in-law, Doug MacLachlan, Rotary quickly became the avenue through which John would focus his contributions to his community and the world. He and Letha were proud host parents to five Rotary exchange students who became extended family. John participated in Rotary Friendship exchanges to Sweden and with Letha to Scotland.

For a decade John was actively involved in Rotary International projects in Cambodia and Uganda. He was particularly proud of his work with Rotarians in Uganda. John travelled to and was involved in several projects in Southern Uganda providing medical equipment and supplies for a community hospital in Kyotera; assisting orphan/child headed families afflicted by AIDS; and facilitating clean water, sanitation and hygiene in homes and schools. It was not uncommon for him to use the family garage as the collection point for medical equipment and supplies donated by Calgary doctors, dentists and clinics, prior to filling shipping containers destined for Uganda. John was a champion of a major water project "Water is Life", in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Kalisizo. This project was recently completed and recognized by Rotary International as a tremendous success. John developed a deep affection for the members of the Rotary Clubs of Kalisizo and others in the Districts of Kyotera (old Rakai), Kalungu and Masaka with whom he worked closely in their respective rural communities. John was a Paul Harris Fellow and was recognized for his outstanding contributions and for exemplifying the highest ideal in Rotary: placing service above self.

John’s passion was Formula 1. He would wake up at 4 am to watch ‘live coverage’ of every Grand Prix race of the season as they progressed from Abu Dhabi to Australia. No matter that he could have watched it via pvr at a more convenient time. John also loved attending weekly chat sessions disguised as deep-water fitness classes at the Talisman/Repsol Centre where he was known to float nearly as well as he chatted. He received enormous joy from attending performances and supporting musical talent at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Banff Centre. He and Letha established the MacLachlan/Ridge Emerging Artists Program at the CPO and the MacLachlan Ridge Family Endowment for classical music and Mountain and wilderness film making at the Banff Centre.

John was an avid tea drinker, naval historian, and – despite his proud English heritage – a Francophile.  The Languedoc region of France became his second home as, for over a decade, he and Letha explored vineyards, music festivals and performances, hiking, rafting and swimming in the Mediterranean from the comfort of their apartment in a small village in the south of France. John and Letha were embraced by the Rotary Club Olonzac en Minervois as frequent visitors, partaking in many delightful gatherings and activities, including the club’s fundraising for and engagement with the Rotary clubs of Southern Uganda.

John was widely known as being enormously proud of his two daughters and was continually amazed by their accomplishments and the range of their capabilities as they matured. He taught them to respect nature and to love all creatures great and small. He nurtured in them compassion, as well as achievement in education and the arts and brought an enormous amount of fun and sauciness to their lives.

Besides his loving wife Letha MacLachlan, Q.C. and his daughters Stephanie and Lauren, he is also survived in Canada by brother-in-law Doug MacLachlan, Ph.D. (Sharon) and nieces Kendra Rendall and Janelle Swaim; nephews, Richard, Steven, and David (Ging) Mugridge; and in the United Kingdom, sister-in-law Hilda (Dilly) Ridge; and nephew Kim Ridge. He was predeceased by his parents, Norman and Lilla Ridge; brother David Ridge; sister Elizabeth Mugridge; and niece Vanessa Ridge.

Funeral Services will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB) on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home . Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on John’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations in John’s memory to your choice of the following: The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (MacLachlan/Ridge Emerging Artists Program) or The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (MacLachlan/Ridge Family Endowment), or to the Rotary Club of Calgary (Downtown). John’s family wishes to extend a particular thank you to Drs. Maya Grover and Jim Thorne as well the incredible medical teams at the South Campus emergency room (Dr. Paul McKenna), Peter Lougheed Centre’s Vascular Unit (Dr. Randy Moore), the Foothills ICU team and EMS paramedics, all of whom exemplified professionalism and care for both John and his family in their time of need. Thank you also to the many friends, exchange students, scholarship recipients, and Rotarians who have sent their condolences from around the globe.

A tree will be planted in living memory of John Ridge. McInnis and Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive S.W., Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.