In Loving Memory of Rev Janet Elizabeth Ridgway
Friday 6th October 2023
11am - St John the Baptist Church, Aldbury, HP23 5RW
In memory of – Rev. Janet Elizabeth Ridgway
18th January 1940 – 11th September 2023
Janet passed away peacefully at Watford General Hospital on Thursday 11th September, aged 83.
Janet was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, the only child of Sidney and May Gibson. Born during the World War II, her experiences from that time shaped the rest of her life. Many prisoners of war were sent to Buxton to work in the quarry. As Sidney was a dental surgeon, some of the prisoners came to him for dental treatment, one of whom was Willy Baumann. Willy became friends with the Gibson family and was like a brother to Janet; it was a friendship that they kept until Willy passed away many years later.
It is probably at least in part due to this friendship that in 1950, the Gibson family had a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ to France, Switzerland and Germany’. Although Janet was only 10 at this time and did not speak more than a few words of German, it’s clear that the experiences and friendships that she formed during that holiday further increased her love for Germany.
In 1960 Janet moved to Dusseldorf and had been working there for 2 years when the death of her father prompted her return to England. It was at this time, when Janet was working at the Austrian Embassy in London, that she met Michael Ridgway. They married in 1963 and set up home in Harrow. Their daughter Jennifer was born in 1965 and son Adam in 1967.
Throughout the rest of her life, Janet was incredibly proud of her family. She loved to gather everyone together to catch up on what was happening, share good times and strengthen the family bonds.
The family moved to Barleycombe, Aldbury in 1968. Janet and Micky were enthusiastic about their involvement in all aspects of village life. She was an active member of St. John the Baptist Church; as her involvement in the church grew, she was encouraged to explore ministry. Her training with the Diocese of St Albans began in 1983 and in 1986 was licensed as a deaconess. She was then ordained a deacon in 1987. In 1994 Janet was in the first group of women to be ordained as priest at St Albans Abbey.
Through her work as a priest, Janet found a role in the community that she loved. She demonstrated her passion for inclusion by welcoming everyone and keeping in touch with those that her life touched. She sought ways to help people feel they belonged, which brought many into the church and the wider community of Aldbury.
Janet greatly enjoyed her involvement in the Team Parish link with Pskov and became a close friend of Father Pavel. She made several trips to Pskov, one of which was with the group that drove a minibus as a gift for the church community.
Sadly, Janet’s husband Michael passed away in 2004. Barleycombe remained her home for as long as possible, until she moved to Berkhamsted in 2022. Shortly after leaving Aldbury Janet was diagnosed with Alzheimers, a condition she was frustrated by but accepting of. However, over the next 10 months, Janet became increasingly frail and it was only three days before she passed away that she was diagnosed with cancer, which ultimately caused her death.
Until the end of her life, Janet sought to build connections with all those she met. Having travelled the world through her working life and on holidays, she brought extensive knowledge and skill when building friendships. When talking about her life, it was these relationships she looked back most fondly on.
Janet is survived by her two children, Jennifer and Adam, their partners and four grandchildren.
If you would like to make a donation in Rev.Janet’s name please consider this link:
https://revjanetridgway.muchloved.com/