Christopher Francis Ridgeway

Christopher Ridgeway, 34 of Calvert County passed away unexpectantly on March 17, 2023. Born December 1, 1988, in Washington DC, he was the son of Mark Ridgeway (deceased) and Grace Ridgeway. He is survived by many loved ones and friends, two special pups, and a growing business.

‘There is something to the presence of certain people. There are those that float in and out of a life, neither missed nor remembered. There are those that do not leave a notable mark on their surroundings because they do not stand for anything, because they lack dominion in their conduct, and because there is no passion in their lives. 

            One of the most notable qualities of Christopher Ridgeway was his presence. It was striking, as is the case with great men. It was felt immediately upon his arrival to a space. The thought, “Christopher is here,” was an acknowledgement impossible to ignore. Part of what made his presence so special was the feeling of love that accompanied him always. He did not have to try; he did not have to remind himself to be good, for it was the nature of his being. Chris was full of love and brought it everywhere with him. You could see it in his eyes. 

            You could see too that he cared about things. One: because he was never shy in telling you about it (usually at a high level of volume), and two: because of his conduct. If he said he would do something, he would do it and, if he did something, he would do it right. He cared and he wanted others to care too because he knew that a life without passion is not a life at all. That is why he did things with intention and told the world to do the same thing.

            What else made Christopher a role model to society was his understanding and practice of priorities. He knew what was valuable and did not apologize for or try to explain it. These things were his work, his friends and, most importantly, his family. He spoke of his family often, either of past memories or future plans. And always, he spoke of wanting the best for them; wanting to be the best for them.  

            That was something that Christopher applied to everything. I can’t tell you how many times I heard him talk about how much it bothered him that people waste opportunities. And at the core of that comment is the sentiment that there is no time to be wasted, that every day is a gift, and that you are what you make yourself. 

            Christopher was good. Not much else needs to be said. He was a good man with a good heart and good head on his shoulders. He was good to himself and good to those he cared about. He was good for you, he was good for me, he was good for everyone. He left things better than he found them. And we are better now too, because we knew him, and because we’ll continue to know him, and because he’ll never leave our minds, and he’ll never leave our hearts. We love you Christopher, now and always, we love you. ‘

A Celebration of Life will be held at Sassafras Farms on April 1st in their barn at 9315 Howes Road Dunkirk MD 20754 from 12pm - 4pm. Please dress in celebration rather than mourning.

All donations can be made in Christopher’s honor to purchase a rowing shell for DeMatha Crew at https://gofund.me/5abffcd9 or directly to DeMatha at 4313 Madison Street Hyattsville, MD 21037 (memo line: Chris Ridgeway/Crew).