Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

We still miss you.

Nick

Nick Ridings
Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office

July 7, 2010

The Dail family of Ocala, Florida sends our deepest condolences to you and sincerest love. We are praying for you and grieving with you. May the LORD carry you and protect and provide for you. Trust Him, rest in Him.

The Dail family, Ocala, FL
in-laws Ofc. Tony Zeppetella eow:6/13/03

July 2, 2010

Dean will be missed by all of those who knew him. I know that anyone of us Dispatchers (former) or current would love to hear him mark up on a 10-38 right now.

Dean was a special person. He was a man of great integrity and knowing his sons it was obvious that they were raised with the same values.

My thoughts and Prayers continue with the Ridings Family during this time of loss.

Jennifer Withers
Communications U.S. Marshals

July 1, 2010

The National Police Wives Association would like to extend their heartfelt prayers to the family of Officer Deputy Dean Ridings and the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department during this time. Thank you, Deputy Ridings, for your service.

national police wives association
Staff

July 1, 2010

In Honor of your Sacrifice and for your family and friends, I salute you as a HERO!

"The Badge"

He starts his shift each day
To respond to calls unknown.
He drives a marked patrol car.
A police officer he is known.

He's paid by the citizens' taxes
To make it safe on the streets.
But he usually has a second job
'Cause a waitress has his salary beat.

Now he doesn't know a holiday
'Cause he works all year round.
And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive
At his home he cannot be found.

He's cursed and assaulted often,
The one whose blood runs blue.
He seldom ever gets a thanks,
To some he's just a fool.

His friends are always other cops
'Cause people just don't understand
That underneath his badge and gun,
He's just another man.

He knows there might not be a tomorrow
In this world of drugs and crime.
And he gets so mad at the court system
'Cause the crooks don't get any time.

And each day when he leaves for work,
He prays to God above.
Please bring me home after my shift
So I can see the ones I love.

But tonight he stops a speeding car,
He's alone down this ole' highway.
It's just a little traffic infraction.
He does it everyday.

Well, he walks up to the driver's window,
And his badge is shining bright.
He asked the guy for a driver's license,
When a shot rang through the night.

Yes, the bullet hit its mark,
Striking the officer in the chest.
But the Department's budget didn't buy
Each officer a bullet-proof vest.

So he lay on the ground bleeding.
His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red.
And briefly he thought of his loved ones
'Cause in a moment the officer was dead.

In the news they told the story
Of how this officer had died.
And some who listened cared less,
But those who loved him cried.

Well, they buried him in uniform
With his badge pinned on his chest.
He even had his revolver,
He died doing his best.

Written By:
David L. Bell

Richland County Sheriff's Department
Columbia, South Carolina
Used with Special Permission of the Author
Copyright © 1993 - All Rights Reserved
and may not be duplicated without permission

Investigator David L Bell (Retired)
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC

June 29, 2010

Our hearts and prayers go out to your family and friends in their time of sorrow. May God Bless and Rest in Peace!

Cpl David Murphy
TX DPS

June 29, 2010

Dean,

Thank you! Thank you for being such a good friend and touching our lives the way you did.
Thank you and your family for allowing us to able to pay our respect to you and hold you one last time.
I know you would have been proud of all our brothers and sisters in uniform who came to say goodbye.
I miss you Dean but I know we will see each other again.

And to God we return our precious loan.

Deputy Kirk Thompson
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 28, 2010

The unity of the law enforcement community always amazes me in times of sorrow such as the passing of Deputy Riding and any other LE officer in the nation. Deputy Riding; from reading the messages about the way you lived your life both personally and professionally, I can see why God has called you to his Kingdom, and it is because you are truly an angel from above and your duty here on earth has been accomplished. I thank God for your service to the community and to this great Country. Now it is your time to rest, breathe easy and rest in peace. Your legacy will continue to be exemplified through Gordon and Nick, two amazing fathers and Deputies with the department in which you served. Thanks again for your service; we will continue to serve for you and the rest of the fallen officers who have died in the line of duty now and in the future. God Bless the Riding family and the men and women of the Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office.

Corporal R.D. Cowles
Fredericksburg P.D.

June 27, 2010

Rest in peace Deputy Ridings, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much for your service!

Shelly
Citizen

June 27, 2010

Dean,
You will be missed by many. I have to say I too will miss hearing you mark out on your traffic stops in the back lot of the Sheriffs Office or on the many warrant services that you handled. You were always so happy and every time I would see you I would ask "how are those Grandbabies" and your face would always light up with joy. In return you would always ask how I had runing around and how they were. I know you were so proud of your sons. Gordon and Nick are so respectful and seem to have no fears, you raised them right. Dean, you will be missed brother.

Deputy D P Babcock
Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office

June 25, 2010

Dean: We will miss you. Both you and Ann were there for us years ago when we were married. Today it was our turn to be there for Ann knowing your strength was there in spirit, ours was there in person. May God watch over you and now your family until we meet again. Amen.

John and Susan Holler
Susan was Dean's sister-in-law

June 25, 2010

What a sad week this was for everyone who knew Deputy Ridings well and for those of us that observed from a far. I hope the Ridings family knows they can reach out to any of the people who admired Dean Ridings for comfort and need.

The funeral was an amazing tribute to an amazing man.

I met some of Dean's co-workers from his other job and they shared a few stories which brought them comfort in his loss. Dean touched everyone he met and will be truly missed.

I keep the family and all the LEOs in my thoughts and prayers. May God bless you and comfort you.

Jennifer Purcell
Mother of Deputies Patricia (Spotsylvania) & Daniel Purcell (Stafford)

June 25, 2010

May God Bless the family and fellow officers of Deputy Ridings. He will forever be remembered.

Jennifer Mayo
Sister of fallen Deputy Hilery Mayo Jr. EOW 6/9/07

June 25, 2010

To the men and women of the Spotsylvania SO, friends and family my deepest sympathies to the loss of Dep. Ridings. I attended Dep. Ridings funeral and was very moved by the kind words that were said about Dep. Ridings. How you were a very honorable man and a true hero. May you rest in peace Hero. We have the watch now brother.

PO II RT Flynn
Lynchburg PD

June 24, 2010

Deputy Ridings, you will not be forgotten! R.I.P.

Deputy Sheriff
Livingston County (Il) Sheriff's Ofc.

June 24, 2010

I am leaving this after attending your funeral yesterday.... and I still can not believe it was you.

I remember all of the time we spend at the academy. The long hours, the hard work and how things got really funny when we were all tired and punchy. those memories will be with me for ever.

Take solace in knowing your family is being looked over by your friends and LE family. This years academy reunion will not be the same without you. You are gone but will never bee forgotten.

David Schwartz
Former LEO

June 24, 2010

You will be greatly missed at the General District Court, your court date was today and I found myself looking up and being so sad that you were not sitting in the second row with a smile on your face. You were always on time and patiently waiting to take your turn. Never once did you ask to go first, never once did you ask to make a copy of a ticket, never once did you approch me while court was going on for anything! You were always prepared and that was always apreciated so much. Your smile and nob to let me know that you were there will be missed. God took you away to quick but we now have a special angel to watch over us as you did here. god bless your wife, Nick , Gordon and your entire family. A special thanks to your brother Rob as well for sharing you with all of us. May you rest in peace, and I'll look out for Nick and Gordon in court
Thank you again for all you did for Spotsy county.

Robin Edenton Dep Clerk
Spotsy General District Court

June 24, 2010

Dean..It is hard to believe that I'm not gonna hear you on the radio again. We had just talked Thursday before the accident and you were smiling ear to ear as you always did. There was no doubt how much you loved your family and how proud you were of Gordon and Nick. They both were so very proud of you. They have learned so much from you. Your spirit shines through them everyday in all that they do and forever will. You lived your life with honor, integrity, and devotion to duty. I will miss the laughs we shared together. Dean, you were a good man. You will always be remembered. Gone but never forgotten.

Sr. Deputy J.C.Curtis
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 24, 2010

Dean Ridings, I am sorry that I did not have the opportunity to know you better. I will say that the few times that we spoke, you were always pleasant, and it appeared to me that you did this job for all the right reasons. Many will truly miss you. If one just looks into your background, one will know what a great man you are. If one ever wants to see how another has lived, one just needs to look at the children. You have raised Gordon and Nick to be the finest of Men. Men of Honor and Compassion, men that I would want on my side under any situation. They are a testament of how you lived your life.

We share the “Brotherhood of the Badge,” but we also share another Bond, “The Marine Corps”. I cannot even begin to articulate how strong that bond can be, but I do know that you life, you sacrifice, and your honor will forever be remembered. We will all pass away, but you will live through your family, friends, Law Enforcement community, and the Marine Corps. RIP Dean, You have made a difference in your lifetime, many cannot say the same. Once a Marine, ALWAYS a Marine.

Semper Fi,
Frank Corona
Sergeant Major (Ret.), Deputy

Deputy Frank Corona
Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office

June 24, 2010

God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain; but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears and light for the way.

Rest in peace!

Michelle - wife of US Marshal

June 24, 2010

Dean,
As evident by those posting here, you have made a tremendous impact on the lives of all those who had the good fortune to have met you. I will truly miss your genuine smile and laughter. I only wish you hadn't been called to Heaven so soon. I can only imagine God must have had a serious problem with speeders up there, and he needed some selective enforcement done.......
You can rest easy with the knowledge that your boys are carrying on your work ethic and good naturedness.
My family and I have all of you in our prayers.

Motor Deputy J.Saunders
Spotsylvania Co. S.O.

June 23, 2010

Dean

I can still hear you calling me on the radio - 390...
I could always hear your smile on the other side, and looked forward to you coming down to dispatch at the end of the night to share a joke and say good night. I will miss you dearly, but I know you are in the loving arms of our Savior. Your legacy undoubtedly lives on in the fine young men you have raised Nick and Crash to be. God bless your family, we will always be here for them.

390 disposition... We love you!

Domonique Curry Emergency Communications
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

Deputy Dean Ridings

I would like to say thank you for your selfless service to our nation and our communtiy. While serving on Honor Guard it is always difficult to witness the raw emotion and pain the loved ones left behind are going through. I did not know you before, yet after watching the love and character your family displayed and shared I feel as though I now know about you. Your mission here is complete Marine! You are among the angels in Heaven and for that I am thankful. I pray for your family and your partners...for healing and strength may they be comforted knowing you are well and in GODS HANDS!!! Peace be with you brother 1* You will not be forgoten...SEMPER FI

First Sergeant Ryan M. Pangretic
Stafford Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

Dean you will be missed dearly by all brother. You are the prime example of an officer and a gentleman. Godspeed

Deputy Chuck Thomas
Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

REST IN PEACE, BROTHER THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

PROVINCIAL CONSTABLE MARTY LALONDE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE

June 23, 2010