William Breeze Riblet

BRISTOL – Celebration of Life services have now been scheduled for William Breeze Riblet.  Visitation for Ribby will be from noon until the hour of the memorial service at 3:00 on Friday, June 26th at Elcona Country Club 56784 Co. Rd. 21 Bristol, IN 46507.  The Rev. Terri Peterson of St. John’s Episcopal Church will officiate.  Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Bill, 81, of Bristol, passed away unexpectedly Friday, March 6,2020, at Elkhart General Hospital.

Bill was born September 23, 1938, to the late William R. and Mary E. (Breeze) Riblet. He married the love of his life, Janet Avey on August 25, 1962, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She preceded him in death on August 13, 2019. Bill is survived by his loving children Leslie (Dan) Kennard, Jay (Krista) Riblet, his sister Ann (Jack) Turnock, and his four grandsons Max Kennard, Jake Kennard, Will Riblet and Jonny Riblet to which he was affectionately referred to as “Ribby”. He also has four nieces and a nephew.

Ribby graduated from Elkhart High School in 1956 and was a proud Blue Blazer.  Ribby went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Ribby was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and was enlisted in ROTC.  It was there that Ribby met his "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" Janet Avey. Upon graduation from Miami, he went to Officer Candidate School at Quantico and proudly served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps for two years. He spent several months at Guantanamo Bay and was on base during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.  After his proud military service, Bill went on to have a more than 40-year career in the MH/RV industry. He worked for Riblet Products, Thunander Corporation and Lippert Components during his career and served several companies on their board of directors, often giving his advice on business strategies and practices. Bill was a soft-spoken man who had a kind word for everyone he met. He built numerous lasting relationships over the years, and no one was a stranger to him.

Ribby loved his four grandsons and always enjoyed having them visit in Naples, Florida. He would attend any event he could for them and was always interested in what they were doing. Ribby also loved his time golfing at Elcona Country Club and was an avid sports fan. He loved going to games at Miami and you could always find him cheering on the Blue Blazers. Rib will be missed by all who knew him.

Memorial contributions in memory of Bill may be made to: ADEC 19670 IN 120 Bristol, IN 46507 or Loveway 54151 C. R. 33 Middlebury, IN 46540.

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