Southampton-Caroline-Giles County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Riddick, Dr. John D., 1953 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ DR. JOHN DUNCAN RIDDICK PROMINENT EDUCATOR DIES UNEXPECTEDLY FROM HEART ATTACK Funeral services for Dr. John Duncan Riddick, 59, widely known educator and former resident of Southampton County, who died in a Pearisburg hospital on Sunday afternoon, February 8, after suffering a heart attack earlier in the day, were held at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon in the Courtland Methodist Church. Rev. James W. Turner, pastor of High Street Methodist Church, officiated. Interment was in the Courtland Cemetery, the pallbearers being Frank L. Crone, Dr. Walter Flick, James T. Gillette, H.B. McLemore, Jr., Johnson McRee, Fred Poteet, Dr. Arch Riddick, and James Whitehurst. Dr. Riddick, husband of Mrs. Rebie Whitfield Riddick, was born in Bowling Green, Caroline County, a son of the late Rev. William Henry and Mrs. Nannie Whitehurst Riddick. He came to Southampton County more than 40 years ago, when his father was made pastor of the Capron Methodist charge. He was a graduate of Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, and had done postgraduate work in northern universities. A veteran of World War I, he was a member of the Courtland Methodist Church. A gifted educator and school administrator, Dr. Riddick began his career in public education as principal of the high school in Courtland. After five years there he went to Norfolk, where he served as assistant principal of Maury High School and head of its mathematics department. His next move was to Danville, where for nine years he was principal of George Washington High School. This was followed by 10 years in Roanoke as principal of Jefferson High School. In 1945 he became president of Blackstone College for Girls. When the last named institution was closed, Dr. Riddick returned to public school work as an instructor in Granby High School, Norfolk. In September, 1952, he went to Pearisburg as principal of the high school there. Besides his wife, Dr. Riddick is survived by three sons, John D. Riddick, Jr., of Pearisburg and New York City, and William Henry and Robert Whitfield Riddick, both students at Randolph-Macon College; a sister, Mrs. Lewis M. Marks of Franklin; and two brothers, Dr. Roland P. Riddick, pastor of Park Place Methodist Church, Norfolk, and Maj. George W. Riddick of Front Royal, assistant principal of Randolph-Macon Academy. A memorial service for Dr. Riddick was held at the Pearisburg High School on Monday morning. Dr. John Duncan RIDDICK, principal of Pearisburg H.S., veteran of WW-I, formerly of Southampton Co., Norfolk, Danville, Roanoke & Blackstone, b. Bowling Green, d. 8 Feb 1953, Pearisburg, age 59, interred in Riverside Cemetery (Episcopal Section, Plot 7*), Courtland, 10 Feb 1953, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Feb. 13, 1953, p. 5 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Riverside list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt Additional information: His widow's obit ("Richmond Times-Dispatch," Jan. 12, 1986) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/r320r2ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/r320j6ob.txt