After over a century, Indy bids farewell to iconic storyteller

Thomas Ridley Jr., April 2024

Thomas Howard Ridley, Jr.

December 19, 1922–June 4, 2024

Our Historic Neighborhoods community lost a charismatic pillar on June 4, 2024. At 101, Tom Ridley from the Ransom Place neighborhood lived a full life and was loved and admired by many.

HUNI volunteers sat down with Mr. Ridley in late April and are working on a reflection of that conversation which will be added to our website upon its completion. Our community is blessed to have had Mr. Ridley’s positivity, tour-leading, storytelling, and support for more than 10 decades. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

 

Read more about his legacy
 

• From the Avenue - A Memoir: Life Experiences and Indiana Avenue History Told from the Perspective of One Who Was There
  by Thomas Howard Ridley Jr. (Author), Kathi Ridley-Merriweather (Contributor), Stanley Warren (Contributor) 
• Living legacy: Thomas Ridley’s history is as remarkable as the stories he shares
  Indianapolis Recorder
• At age 93, memories of Walker Theatre, Indiana Avenue and more
  Hoosier History Live
• Fall of the Avenue: How developers erased Indiana Ave. while celebrating its jazz history
  Indy Star