William A Ridgley Sr

Retired Cambridge Fire Captain William A. Ridgley, Sr.

William (Bill) A. Ridgley, Sr. entered into eternal rest on April 17,2023.  Born in Cambridge, MA on Easter Sunday, April 12, 1936, to Marguerite Eleanor Ridgley and Frederick Ridgley, Bill is the seventh child amongst eleven siblings.  He is survived by his loving children Michelle Ridgley and William Ridgley, Jr. and his cherished granddaughter Alicia Ridgley.  He is also survived by his siblings Frederick Ridgley of KY, Maxine Ladouceur of VT and Joan Sneed of MA.

Bill rose to the call of duty when he enlisted in the United States Army in January 1958 in the middle of the Vietnam War. Initially stationed in Oahu and assigned to the 25th infantry, Bill was deployed to Laos where his unit came under attack and engaged in combat. From 1961 to 1963, Bill served in the Army Corps where he received the Good Conduct Medal and was honorably discharged.  

Ever the pragmatist, Bill realized that fire services would be an honorable career and joined the Cambridge Fire Department in 1961. In 1964, Bill married Beverly Fuller, and they had two children. The family moved to Lexington in 1968, where they became active in the community.  Bill went on to earn his associate degree in Fire Sciences from Massachusetts Bay Community College in 1976, graduating with honors.

As he rose through the ranks, Bill continued to lead by example, teaching the next generation of firefighters, both as an Instructor at the Massachusetts Fire Academy, and as supervising instructor for the Junior Fire Brigade Program in the City of Cambridge. Bill’s hard work and perseverance paid off when he was promoted to Captain in 1982, a rank reached by few other black officers at the time and held this rank up until his retirement in 1994 after 33 years of dedicated service to the Cambridge Fire Department.

From baking and delivering delicious chocolate chip cookies to impeccably running a busy station house and rescuing people in need, Bill Ridgley is a shining example of a life well-lived.

Celebration of Life:  Tuesday, April 25th
Visiting Hours: 11:00 AM, Service: 12:00 PM
Myrtle Baptist Church
21 Curve Street, W. Newton

https://www.myrtlebaptist.org/

Internment: Westview Cemetery
520 Bedford Street, Lexington

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

The Salvation Army Cambridge Corps Community Center
402 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

Please select “Make Your Donation in Honor of” and list William Ridgley, Sr.
www.SalvationArmyMA.org/Cambridge

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