Gerald Ridinger, Class of 1949

Gerald ‘Jug’ Ridinger ’49 died April 12,2020. Born in Miamisburg, Ohio, on October 19, 1924, to the late Harold Ridinger and Esther Ginter Ridinger.

Jug graduated from Miamisburg High School in 1941 at the age of 16. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Marines as a Master Tech Sergeant with Marine Air Group 61 in the South Pacific from 1942-1945. After the war, Jug earned his bachelor’s degree in 1949 from Otterbein College, followed by a master’s degree in 1951 and a Ph.D. in history in 1957, both from The Ohio State University. At Otterbein he was part of the Zeta Phi (Zeta) fraternity, student government (senate), played baseball and met his wife Miriam Wetzel ’51.
After working eight years for General Motors Institute, he joined Kent State University in 1963 as the Director of the Bureau of Management Development. At Kent State, he was a professor and later Associate Dean of the College of Business before his retirement in 1985. He also served for a time as the KSU Faculty Athletics Representative and continued to be an avid supporter of Kent State Athletics throughout his life. Jug was a member of the Kent United Church of Christ.
Jug is survived by his wife, Miriam Wetzel Ridinger ’51; children, Rick, Mike (Jane) and Lynn (Tim); grandchildren Andy, Jon, Katie, Becky, Lindsay, Amy, Matt, and Jason; and great-grandchildren Nathan, Ryan, Evelyn, Olivia, Lorraine, Samantha, Isaac, and Jacob.
He was preceded in death by his infant older brother, Edward; younger sister, Elaine, and daughter, Susan Ridinger Reeves ’85. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Otterbein University or to the Susan Ridinger Reeves Memorial Fund at the Kent United Church of Christ. Please send checks to the Kent UCC, 1400 E. Main St., Kent, OH 44240 and include “Sue Reeves Fund” in the memo line.