Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Deputy Ridings,
Thank you for your service to this country and may God bless you wife and family during this difficult time. I know your sons must be very proud to have served along side you.

SA DEA

June 23, 2010

Our thoughts and prayers go to family, friends and the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office.

God Bless and rest easy brother...we have the watch now.

Joshua Klaus
US Secret Service (Law Enforcement United)

June 23, 2010

I thank you for all you have given while here on earth. I thank you in advance for all you will do while watching over us. God Bless your family and friends and partner. Rest peacefully.

John Walt

June 23, 2010

RIP Dean. I'll miss backing you up on traffic stops behind the Sheriff's Office. God bless you and your family. Semper Fi

Deputy Rocco Wahl
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

Rest in Peace Deputy Ridings. May God continue to bless your family and loved ones, and may He watch over the proud members of your LE family... Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office...who so honorably serve this county I call home.
You will be missed....but NEVER forgotten.

R W Rea
Alexandria Sheriff's Office (Retired)

June 23, 2010

Thank you for your service. We will be praying for the families recovery during this time. God's word says to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD.

M. Tipton patrol officer
Liberty Police Department

June 23, 2010

May God bless you, your department and family. Thank you for your service, may your life be a blessing to all of those who have known you and those of us who did not. Amen

Sgt R W Miller
Chilhowie Police Department

June 23, 2010

Even though we had not seen each other in such a long time I still thought of you often. You were a great person and friend. I miss you and will keep you in my heart forever.

Joe Polnac
Friend

June 23, 2010

My deepest condolences to the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office and to Deputy Ridings Family. May he rest in peace.

Garrett Watson
Former Corrections Officer-VA DJJ

June 23, 2010

Dean,

I did not know you nearly as well as I would have liked, but I did know that I could always count on a smile from you and usually some type of gift. It seemed like Christmas every time I saw you around the office because you always had a bundle of surplus supplies to share!

The words on this memorial page are a true reflection of what type of person you were. Every day of my life I strive to be the man, husband, and father I see described here, and if I can do half as good a job as you, then I will feel I have truly done something worthy of remembering.

Your son Nick is a great man and an exemplary officer, and I am honored to call him a friend. You taught him well by your example. He is a loving husband and a committed father and I am blessed to know him, his wife, and his baby boy.

Rest easy now, because all of us will be there for your family, ready to support them whenever there is a need in the days, weeks, and years to come. Take care, 390. I am proud to have served with you as a brother.

Deputy C Glass 447
Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

I was watching the sun rise over the Inner Passage of Alaska on my way to Ketchikan when my phone received signal and the texts came in. A beautiful day was made a little dimmer, loosing Deputy Ridings is akin to loosing light in a dark world.

Deputy Ridings was a consummate optimist, seeing the good in everyone, including those he arrested. While in his FTO period we arrested a drunk that was being verbally abusive. He displayed the the joy of his character in trying to reason the guy into being cooperative and shrugging off his abuses. He loved his job and loved the people of our county. He is an inspiration.

I will miss him dearly. I looked forward to the details we were scheduled together because there was never a bad day, hard shift or difficult assignment. Those details will always be empty now, knowing he won't be arriving, but we will take heart knowing that he will be there in spirit, encouraging us to be safe and enjoy life.

We will miss you Dean. God Speed.

Deputy Jacobs
Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office

June 23, 2010

GORDON MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I DID NOT KNOW YOUR DAD BUT I WILL SAY HE RAISED A FINE YOUNG MAN IN YOU. BE PROUD OF ALL HE TAUGHT YOU AND KNOW THAT HE WAS PROUD OF YOU AND ALL YOU HAVE DONE. RIP DEPUTY DEAN RIDINGS YOU ARE GONE BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Deputy Brian O'Bier
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office

June 22, 2010

God speed, Dep Ridings. Nick and Gordon, our hearts ache for you and your family and the Spotsylvania SO. RIP Unit 390.

Magistrate Sue Harris

June 22, 2010

Dean was an academy classmate at the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy in 2004/5 and a brother Marine. My sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fellow officers. He will truly be missed. Rest in Peace Brother!

Semper Fi
Larry G. Carmon
Major, U. S. Marine Corps (Ret.)

Deputy Larry G. Carmon
Stafford County Sheriff's Office

June 22, 2010

GODspeed thank you for your service may you R.I.P.

Camden Bullock, EMT-B
King George VFD

June 22, 2010

Rest in Peace my friend. May the Lord watch over you and your family. You will never be forgotten.

RETIRED DETECTIVE FRANK DEMARCO
NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

June 22, 2010

God has called another hero home. My prayers are with the Ridings family, friends and coworkers

Deb Azure
Mother of Deputy Renee Danell Azure
EOW 08/06/02

Anonymous

June 22, 2010

Gone, but never forgotten, Rest easy now my Brother in Law, your watch on earth is over. God please watch over, and tend to the loved ones left behind.......

Sgt. John L. Gulledge (Ret.)
Escambia CO Sheriff's Office Pensacola FL.

June 22, 2010

Dean it was a true honor to work with such a fine man. You will be missed very much. You were one of the most respectful people that I have ever met and you have two sons that remind me of you. I still remember what I told you the last time I saw you. I said "Dean save some people for me to pull over tonight." Dean looked at me and smiled and said " I will think about it." You rest in peace now my friend, God is getting one great man to share heaven with.

Deputy Shane Adam Suthard
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 22, 2010

Rest in Peace, Brother.

OFC B. Grajek

June 22, 2010

RIP..My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ridings family..I will miss hearing "390 10-8 selective enforcement". You always came in to dispatch no matter if you were out doing select or if you were out doing civil. You always had a smile on your face..God Bless

Kacey Diaz-Patrol Dispatcher

June 22, 2010

RIP Deputy Ridings. Your gone but not forgotten. Thank-you for your service to your community.

VPO M.L Buckley 313
Fredericksburg Police Dept.

June 22, 2010

Rest in Peace my Brother, God Bless you, your Family and your Dept.

Officer Bob Swope #5609
Olmsted Falls Police Dept.Ohio

June 22, 2010

Deputy Dean Ridings was truly a wonderful person inside and out. His love for his family was an example that all men should follow. The friendship within our agency will never be forgotten.

I know it’s difficult to know that Dean cannot be here right now, but his memories he made with us will keep him near.

GOD with loving wisdom will be there to guide everyone through this difficult time.

Dean, Rest In Peace My Friend

Deputy William "Blue" Jeffries
Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office

June 22, 2010

My God, we just lost a Trooper in Massachusetts and already Brothers are dying in other parts of the country. I'm not really sure what to say, other than, THANK YOU for all your service to others, many of who probably didn't deserve it. Deputy Ridings, you are a hero.

God Bless and may you forever Rest in Peace, Brother.

Ptl. Jim Leahy, Jr.
Harvard University Police Dept.

June 22, 2010