Lawrence S. Ridennoure

Lawrence ?Larry? S. Ridennoure passed away on October 12, 2009 at the Bob Stump VA Medical Center, Prescott.   Larry was born in La Junta, Colorado, on January 17, 1925, to parents Lawrence Culberson Ridennoure and Etha Lynn (Taylor).  He attended Colorado State University until August 1943 when the Army Air Corps drafted him for service for WWII.  He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, Cerignola, Italy, where he served as an armorer-gunner participating in twenty-eight aerial bombing missions throughout Europe.  He bravely served until honorably discharged in October 1945, holding the rank of Staff Sergeant.  For his service, he was awarded the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the ETO Medal with four battle stars, and the Good Conduct Medal.   Following WWII, Larry returned to CSU where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management.  He became a division superintendant for Firestone in Liberia, West Africa through 1954 until moving to Puerto Rico where he owned a poultry breeding farm and chick hatchery.  Between 1959 and 1966, he taught the 6th-grade in Patterson, NJ, owned a curio shop in Puerto Rico, and worked as a photographer at horse racing tracks in Arizona and Nebraska.  In 1966, he moved to Prescott, AZ, where received a position with Southwest Forest Industries until his retirement as a sales manager in 1986.   On August 15, 1970 he married Mitsue (Shigeno) Klotzbach in Prescott, after a long friendship with her family.  They made Prescott their home where they enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.  He was involved with the Kiwanis Club, a life member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and was very active with the Yavapai County Fair Association since 1968.  Larry was very proud of his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as a Scout Leader since 1967 and Scoutmaster of Prescott?s Troop 10 for twenty-two years.  He was an Eagle Scout, a member of the Order of the Arrow, Koshare member, received the Award of Merit, and the Silver Beaver.  He always spoke highly of the many scouts who he knew over the years.    Larry was most proud of his grandsons, Rikki and Ryan, and will be remembered as a loving grandfather by both.  He touched numerous lives, and will be missed dearly by his family and friends.   He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Ben and Ted Ridennoure, sisters Betty Jo Hart and Pat Batallia, and step-daughter Mitzi Klotzbach.  He is survived by his wife Mitsue Ridennoure, step-son Heiji (Novalene) Klotzbach, grandsons Ryan (Tosha) and Rikki Klotzbach, sisters Lois Freidenberger (Fred) and Ruby Marshall, brother Jerry Ridennoure (Jan), and many nieces and nephews.