Raymond Hazen Ridenour, Jr. a devoted and beloved husband, brother, uncle and the preeminent 'Hail fellow well met' to his vast audience for his artwork, stories and jokes, died on Friday, November 22, 2024.  Born to Raymond Hazen Ridenour and Norma Pauline Ridenour (née Silver) on July 19, 1947, Ray will always be remembered as the quintessential storyteller, artist, observer and intellectual, allowing his wonderfully infectious humor to permeate even his deepest and most serious conversations.  If the sketchbook, napkin, placemat, envelope, plastic milk jug, or random piece of paper sat still, Ray either drew it or drew on it.

Ray was the youngest of three children, having two older sisters: Joan and Deirdre.

Ray's storytelling was crafted from his earliest material having grown up on the grounds of St. Elizabeth's  Hospital in Washington, DC, a psychiatric hospital of the old methodology of patient recovery with placid green spaces and an overall peaceful setting in which his father was a psychiatrist.  Ray's earliest playmates were not boys and girls of his own age, but rather the higher-functioning patients at the hospital, including World War I veterans consigned to the hospital because of 'shell shock'.  While living at St. Elizabeth's, Ray played tennis with Ezra Pound, whose friends had him 'committed' to evade arrest by the authorities for subversion.  In addition, Ray loved to play pool and cards with the capable patients.

While Ray graduated from the University of Maryland with thoughts of following his father as a healer of the mind with a degree in psychology in 1969, he realized his real passion was art… … and it was during this time of passion's discovery that Ray met the passion of his life: his beloved and loving wife Susi.  Thus began a shared lifetime of mutual love, respect, interest, and support for 53 memorable years.

Ray's talents as an artist were utilized for store displays at Stewart's department store in downtown Baltimore, where, during a time of brevity, his colleagues voted him 'The Least Likely to Look Good In Drag.'

Following his time at Stewarts, Ray became a Graphic Artist for the Housing Authority of Baltimore City and the City's Housing Department, during which he designed brochures, street banners for several Baltimore neighborhoods, a mural by Cross Street Market, and the graphics on the overhead train bridge in the Greektown area one can still see today.  Art permeated Ray's life, and he found side projects working with stained glass, photography, and sculpture.

Ray's means of communication were not just his mouth, his pen, or his paintbrush; Ray also brought his outsized character to the stage, preforming in several plays (including the Vagabond Theater) and reaching his zenith on the silver screen with his appearance in The Laughing Dead (1989) as—what else—a jokester who laughed at everything.  The production team needed to cast a model of Ray's head since his character has his head severed in the movie with such force, it scored a three-pointer through a playground basketball hoop.  The head's whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

When Ray tired of researching, observing, and learning about the real world around him, he found a keen interest and much joy in the world of science fiction.  He joined the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and attended every BSFS convention for 50 years straight(!) He also attended nearby Philadelphia's Philcon conventions whenever he could find a ride and a place to crash.  Ray became the 'go-to' guy as a panelist due to his breadth of knowledge and gift to gab.

Ray's interest in reading across all forms of subject matter led to his membership on the Enoch Pratt Library Advisory Committee; his fascination with history and his ability to weave a narrative of people in and around historic structures lead him to become a docent at St. Mary's Historic Site on N. Paca Street, home to the nationally recognized 1808 Mother Seton House, where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lived and worked.  He was also an 'on-call' receptionist for St. Mary's Seminary & University.

Ray will be missed not only by his beloved Susi, not just by his surviving family nor just by his close friends; Ray will be missed by anyone in the Greater Baltimore Area who had the unique experience and ultimate pleasure of sitting next to him in a local pub or tavern, listening to Ray weave a story of immense fascination, orally hopping from one genre to another with no literary effort—each one of these passers-by in life were given a gift—be it spoken or drawn on a napkin—from Ray, the Ultimate Raconteur.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church—400 E. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21202—at 2:00 pm. Please note that the church entrance and parking lot are on the Gay Street side(!)

In lieu of flowers or for those looking for a place to donate, you may donate to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) at 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA 19406 or online at http://www.theaftd.org/ in memory of Raymond Ridenour. The family requests that you please name the funeral home as the "recipient" when making donations.