Services held for Russell Riddle
Services for Russell Lynn Riddle, 44, were held on Wednesday, June 16 th , at 2:00 P.M. at the Criswell Chapel in Ada, Oklahoma, officiated by Wayne Cooksey. In place of flowers the family request donations be made to spinal cord injuries. Contact Amanda Tollett at Farmers State Bank in Allen, OK 580-857-2402.
Russell was born on August 30, 1976, in Holdenville, Oklahoma to Glen and Terry Riddle Sr. He was raised in Allen, Oklahoma in the same house where he lived until his death this last Thursday, June 10, 2021.
Russell graduated from Allen High School in May of 1994. After spending his junior and senior year at Pontotoc County Vo-Tech in Auto Mechanics, he decided to attend OSU Tech at Muskogee, Oklahoma where he studied Diesel Mechanics. He came to love mechanics after spending hours learning from his father. He graduated from OSU Tech in August of 1997.
He immediately went to work for Cummings Diesel in Oklahoma City. While working for Cummings he made his home in Mustang, Oklahoma. It was while working for Cummings Diesel that Russel met a couple of his dearest friends, Mike and Misty Cannon, who had remained his best friends to this day. Mike and Misty were another brother and sister to him. Their girls, Jenna and Ally became his nieces along with his other nieces and nephews.
Russell was a rambunctious little boy who loved life. He spent most of his time outside doing typical boy things. One of which was driving his Mom crazy wondering what he was going to do next to get himself hurt or in trouble. Family and friends meant the world to him. You knew you were loved by Russell if he picked on you. Usually so much so that you would end up saying “Stop Russell.” His Mom talked about buying him a t-shirt that said, “SHUT UP RUSSELL.” Now we would give anything to be able to tell him that again.
One of the things all the kids loved was spending time with Granny Russell, especially Russell. She would make them feel special when they were with her. It was one day while at Granny Russell’s house Russell jabbed himself in the eye with a rusty wire. Of course, he was playing where he shouldn’t have been. His Mom and aunt took him to two different hospitals before getting treatment. This was just one of Russell’s typical injuries. ALL BOY!!!!
Russell was injured in May of 2001, after being released from the hospital he came back to Allen to live with his parents. After being injured he spent a lot of time with family and close friends. One of the things he enjoyed was camping with family and friends. He spent time camping and riding his buggy on campouts with Todd Osborn and the gang. Luckily Todd is his neighbor and he got to spend lots of time visiting with him. Like I said, if he picked on you then you knew he liked you. He spent a lot of time with Donny and Wilda Pipkin and he called his other Mom and Dad. He would pick on their daughters about him getting their inheritance because he was the favorite son.
He enjoyed riding his buggy around the country roads with his nieces, nephews, and his Mom. His Mom and her dog Susie would load up and ride around with him. Just to let you know, when you rode with Russell you were taking your life into your own hands because he liked to scare you at least once every time you rode with him. Many times I would find myself yelling, “Russell don’t do that.” There was one incident where he was playing around on an icy road (making donuts) after getting his handicapped van with his cousin, Meghan, in the van. She came home saying that she wouldn’t ride with him again. It was awhile before she did.
Russell enjoyed attending a Sunday biweekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with his cousins, Alan and Jeremy. They would get together to play the game, but most of the time was spent talking and eating all the food made by the guys. Of course, his Mom would send one of her famous dishes for the guys to eat. The guys themselves actually got very good at cooking different dishes. The cousins and their friends, Andrew, David, Will and Nick loved the biweekly games. They would plan the food a week ahead of time so we came to realize that the food and companionship were the real draws for each of them. Russell talked about this group all the time. He eventually got his nephew, Brandon, and his niece, Ansley, to attend the games with him.
Russell’s interest in computers and computer games began after his injury when he joined his younger cousin, Alan, and Alan’s friend Scott Knighten working on computers and playing computer games like Warcraft.
When Glen Jr. had any automotive problems he could depend on Russell to be there. Russel and Glen Jr. would sit and problem solve whatever sound or problem the vehicle seemed to be having. They would work out the solutions and Russell would sit outside and help his brother with whatever had to be repaired or replaced. Russell was so proud to be able to help his older brother. Helping Glen or anyone else solve a problem would make his day. He loved helping those he loved.
He especially liked taking his three girlfriends to the movies – his Mom, Jessie Sue Boyd and Tammy Randles. Jessie and Tammy were special to him and he always enjoyed their company.
Russell liked to sit in the kitchen with his Mom while she cooked. He was always giving his advice on how to cook something or bringing her a recipe of something new to cook where he had watched Food Network. The kitchen was the center of the house. He would sit there excitedly waiting to eat lunch each weekday with his sister, Amanda. He would wait for any of the nieces or nephews to drop by for a visit or a bit of Uncle Russell’s advice on life after school or on the weekends. He liked to call his group of nieces and nephews the RUG RATS. Those kids, his brother and sister, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, parents, cousins, and uncles and aunts were his life and love and he was ours.
I want to list the nieces and nephews here from oldest to youngest who were members of the Rug Rats: Australia Riddle Calhoun, Caitlen Riddle, Taylor Tollett, Brandon Riddle, and Ansley Tollett. Each of those kids was very special to him and he loved seeing them and doing things with them. Coming later into Russell’s life were Megan Disheroon, Micah Stringer, and Gage Jimboy, who were added to his list of nieces and nephews. He loved each and every one of them very much.
Russell was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents William Joshua and Ruby Nunnelley Russell of Allen; paternal grandparents George and Viola Riddle of Levelland, Texas; maternal uncles and aunt Willie Mae Farmer of Oil Center, Charles E. Brand of Calvin, Jess Brand of Allen, and Richard Brand of Allen; paternal uncles and aunt Richard Riddle, Joan Weams, and Robert Riddle. Plus a host of cousins and great-aunts and grat-uncles.
Russell leaves behind his parents, Glen H. Riddle Sr. and Terry Russell Riddle of the home; a brother, Glen H. Riddle Jr., and his wife Shellie of Allen; sister, Amanda Riddle Tollett, and husband William (Bill) of Non; a host of nieces Megan Disheroon of Ada, Australia Riddle Calhoun and husband Aaron of Broken Arrow, Caitlen Riddle and fiance Tyler Wilkins of Norman, Taylor Tollett of Non, and Ansley Tollett of Non; three nephews, Micah Stringer of Allen, Gage Jimboy of Allen, and Brandon Riddle of Allen; two aunts Taffi Russell Bunyard and husband Stephen of Ada, and Mary Poteet of Plainview, Texas; and numerous cousins, greataunts and great-uncles.
Honorary pallbearers were Alan Bunyard, Mike Cannon, Jeremy Bunyard, Scott Knighten, Andrew Castleberry, Nick Beshears, David Arden, Will Haywood, Todd Osborne, and Bryan Windle.
I was only able to tell you a few things about Russell in this obituary. A few things to let you realize just how great a person he was, and how much he will be missed by each and every one of us. Our feelings of love and loss cannot be expressed adequately by what I have written.
Russell, we will always love and miss you.
I would like to express the family’s appreciation of the food, love, and friendship offered by family and friends during our time of bereavement. Thank you so much!
The Family of Russell
Riddle