Obituary of Edward Edmund Riederich

Ed Riederich was born to Edward and Tracie (Ceretto) Riederich on October 21, 1942 in Tamarack Mills, MI. He died on March 9, 2023. At age 6, after the Calment & Hecla copper mine closed, the family moved to Flint, where his dad worked for General Motors. Ed graduated from Southwestern High School. On his 18th birthday, he joined the Army National Guard, and proudly served in both the Army and Air National Guards. At 19, Ed graduated from Weaver Airline School and was hired by Bonanza Airlines in Las Vegas. He enjoyed a 36-year airline career, working for Bonanza Airlines, Air West Airlines, Hughes Air West Airlines, Republic Airlines, and Northwest Airlines, with continuous employment due to buyouts or mergers. Ed and Sandy met while they were both working for Air West Airlines in San Francisco, CA. They were married on March 27, 1971. The family followed Ed’s airline career and lived in Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA, Monroe, MI, and Graham, WA. Ed and Sandy retired to Ritzville, WA in 1996. Ed enjoyed many hobbies, including restoring treasures to look like new, whether it be homes, cars, gas pumps, license plates, old wooden crank phones, clocks, trunks, or antiques. He could build anything, and especially enjoyed figuring out the mechanisms for various whirligigs. Ed wound 11 regulator clocks every few days in our home, which are now silent. Ed would say he had an amazing life, but it was not without deep pain and trials. His lifelong favorite Bible verse was Proverbs 2:4-5. “If you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Ed is survived by his wife Sandy of nearly 52 years, daughter Tammy, son Ed III, daughter Amy, nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, sister-in-law Cindy, brother-in-law Stephen (Patty), nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. His sister, Jean Jackson, and his mother mother-in-law, Betty Comella, both died two months ago. Final arrangements handled by Danekas Funeral Home, Ritzville, WA. A private graveside service will be held in Lynden, WA.