Terry Ridge

Aloha friends one and all,

I grew up with Rodney and Steve and Mark Adams who lived across the street from him, there on Burns Dr at Frederick Dr. We swam together, went to the beach together and spent a lot of time together with Gifford Beaton, Jerry Charton, Duane Boyle, and Dennis Bucher, to name just a few. I last saw Rodney about 5 years ago when he visited me at my hale in Oregon. We had a great visit and off he went. SO SADDENED by his VERY UNTINELY passing. Rodney is the VERY LAST person I would have expected to pass so young. He was an INCREDIBLY good swimmer and water polo player and as healthy as one would expect of the elite athlete that he was. He will be missed in terms I can't even begin to say!

Ke Akua pu, Rodnay a ohana, e pili mau na pomaika'i 'ia noho'i nui loa ~ ~ ~ Aloha noho'i ~ ~ ~

This from his obituary in the 'Redheaded Blackbelt' dated October 19, 2019

Rod was born on June 6, 1953 in Long Beach, California. He was the third of four sons born to Wyeth (“Wink”) and Orpha Cade. Growing up in Southern California, primarily Garden Grove, he spent his time playing in the orange fields and building forts with his brothers and neighborhood friends. Rather than dogs he preferred snakes as pets, much to the dismay of his mother. Rod, along with his brothers, developed a passion for competitive swimming and water polo. As a teenager, he was one of the elite breast stroke swimmers in the United States. In the summers he worked as a life guard patrolling Orange County’s beaches and rescuing wayward swimmers. 

After graduating from Garden Grove High School in 1971, Rod attended Stanford University on a water polo scholarship.  He graduated in three years with a major in Psychology. Rod went on to attend medical school at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While there he met a young nursing student named Linda who would become his wife of 40 years. After medical school, Rod began an orthopedic surgery residency at UCSF.  After one year there he decided to take a short break and cover the practice of Dr. Muncheimer of Rio Dell, CA who was leaving for Africa for one year. That one year break turned into forty years of practicing in Humboldt County. After a few years in Rio Dell, he moved his practice to Scotia and worked with Dr. Bob Treadwell until his retirement and then continued the Scotia practice with Dr. Buzz Rigney. While living and working in Scotia, Rod and Linda had 4 children: Alexis, Nathan, Andrea and Justine. After 22 years in Scotia, the family moved to Eureka where Rod joined Dr. Michael Burleson and then Dr. Larry Wieland at Redwood Family Practice. Rod finished out his career at what became his favorite place to work, with Dr. Eva Smith and staff at K’ima:w Medical Center in Hoopa, CA.

Rod’s medical career was only one facet of his life. His interests and talents were many and varied. Rod loved to build things. He learned electrical work from his grandfather, Arthur Briggs, plumbing from his father-in-law, Dick Lawrence and welding from his good friend Gary Brownell; carpentry, wood-working and everything else he taught himself.  If he could read about it he could do it. He designed and built the family’s first home, and remodeled the other two homes himself. He also built bicycles, stereos, sound systems, wooden furniture and jewelry boxes. Rod loved to fix things and could fix just about anything – chainsaws, motors, watches, musical instruments, leaky toilets and at times his children’s broken hearts. He was an amazing cook. His children called him “the king of leftovers” as he could open the fridge, find a variety of leftovers and limiting himself to one pot (he hated doing dishes) could remake the ingredients into a great meal. His creativity in meals was outdone only by his storytelling abilities. Rod could make a stubbed toe sound like a near death experience, much to the enjoyment of his friends and family. Rod loved surfing, windsurfing, scuba diving, skiing, bicycle racing and competed multiple times in the Tour of the Unknown Coast Century Ride. 

With all the things he loved, Rod loved his family the most. Rod had a t-shirt he loved to wear; across the front it read “Let me drop everything and work on your problem”.  He would truly stop anything he was doing and spring into action, happily helping his children with constructions projects, household moves around the US or often just listening to a problem and coming up with a solution or some advice that would help.  

Over the last 5 years, during their semi-retirement, Rod’s favorite thing to do was to travel with Linda in their Sprinter van. He customized and built the van into a camper himself. They loved exploring the back roads and little towns of the western United States, especially the southwest. Their favorite camping sites were out of the way, rarely visited areas in national forests and on BLM land. When not out camping the “Blue Whale” often traveled up and down the west coast visiting the kids. That van was a source of so many good times in his last years.

The family especially cherishes the last seven months with Rod, since his heart attack, and the memories and milestones they celebrated together. Seeing his daughter get engaged and attending his son’s wedding were such a source of joy to him.  He delighted in learning that his newest grandbaby would be a girl and in teaching his granddaughter to swim in the same pool he taught her mother to swim. And finally, the happiness in celebrating 40 years of marriage. 

Rod was intelligent, kind, fun loving, frugal and funny. He has left us with so many good memories but too few years of life on this earth.

 Rod is survived by his wife of 40 years, Linda; his son Nathan Cade and wife Page; his daughters, Alexis Wilson and husband Jonny, Justine Erb and husband David, Andrea Cade and fiancée Santiago Aguirre; his mother Orpha Cade; brothers, Jerry Cade (Marilyn), Richard Cade (Sheree), Steven Cade (Mymy); his grandchildren, Zoe and Julian Wilson; his in-laws Shirley and Dick Lawrence, Debbie and John Tully, Dena and Ed Wenzel; many loving nieces, nephews, extended family; and special friends Gary and Betsy Brownell, Ken and Linda Bareilles, Bob Miller, Michael Fox and “The Eureka Gang”.  He is preceded in death by his father Wyeth Cade, nephew Christopher Cade, grandniece Selah Chupp and grandnephew Roan Chappelear.

Farewell friend!

~ Aloha noho'i ~ ~ ~

Aloha! Mary and I had connected via Facebook a few years ago as many of us have with our other GGHS alumni, friends, and family. I didn't actually know Mary all that much in school but once we connected on FB, we talked a lot about landscape gardening, her being the profoundly dedicated garden designer and me with my own landscape architecture background. She was a very enthusiastic horticulturist and we enjoyed talking of the many things related to design, plant taxonomy, permaculture, and such. She was a character, ever bubbly and optimistic. When Emily let me (and many others as well) know that Mary had fallen ill, it came as a very big surprise. Heartbreaking indeed! Thank You, Emily, for keeping all of us informed about Mary's battles and to your dedication to her well being in her final days. I'm glad you were able to correct the details about her being a student at GGHS and those related to her life. 

Ke Akua, pu, Mary a Emily, e pili mau na pomaika'i 'ia noho'i nui loa ~ ~ ~

Aloha noho'i a hui hou kakou hoa pili ~ ~ ~

Terry Kanekaiahi Kahanalu Ho'okalakupua Sadhu Pa'a Manaiakalani Ridge

Posted on: Oct 22, 2019 at 1:33 AM

Aloha Friends and Family of Will,

I was SHOCKED to hear about Will's passing. I barely knew Will but I DO remember him as a larger-than-life member of the GGHS Community so many years ago. We reconnected on Facebook, as so many have had the fortune to do, and I was able to follow his life even more than 40 years later. MUCH Aloha to you, his Ohana!!!!

With Aloha from my heart!!! ~ ~ ~

Terry 'Kaihekili Sadhu Pa'a Manaiakalani' Ridge

Aloha Steve! Hau'oli La Hanau Friend!! Here's hoping all is well with you and your Ohana ~ ~ ~

Aloha GGHS Ohana! If there was ever a Human Everready Bunny, it had to be Craig. The guy has BOUNDLESS energy. If there was something about a 'sport', be it, Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, OR ANYTHING, you could ask Craig and there would be NO DOUBT that he would know about it. I bet Craig knows Larry Bird's shoe size when he was 13 ~ LOL ~ Hau'oli La Hanau (Happy Birthday) Craig ~ ~ ~ MUCH Aloha ~

Aloha Rick!!! Happy Birthday Buddy ~ ~ ~