Keith Lentz Riddle, M.Div., D.Min., NCCHCE

Keith Lentz Riddle, M.Div., D.Min., NCCHCE, 67, of Champaign, IL and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, died Saturday, February 3, 2024. A niche-side service and Inurnment will be held Saturday, February 17th in the Mepkin Abbey Columbarium, 1098 Mepkin Abbey Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 at 2:00 pm. The family will receive friends Friday, February 16th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC with the Holy Rosary recited at 6:00 pm.

Dr. Riddle was born March 16, 1956 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, son of the late Harold Joseph and Dorothy LaUna Cook Riddle. He was a graduate of The McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN, Wofford College where he was a member of Kappa Sigma International Fraternity, Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science where he was a member of Pi Sigma Eta National Morticians Fraternity, and received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS). He received his National Certification in Catholic Healthcare Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. Upon graduation from CTS, Dr. Riddle served for many years as a Minister of Word & Sacrament with the Presbyterian Church (USA), with pastorates in Jamaica, Scotland, South Carolina, North Carolina, and South Florida, with his final association being with the Presbytery of Tropical Florida. While with the PC(USA), he served on the National Leadership Team of the Presbyterian AIDS Network and PHEWA, seeking to develop programs which met the needs of those with special challenges within the Church.

Dr. Riddle developed KLR Support Services, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, FL, a group which provided support group leadership to those caring for family members living with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other memory loss issues, as well as those living with HIV/AIDS concerns. Upon his return to Charleston, Dr. Riddle joined the staff of J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Funeral Chapels and Crematory, serving as the Managing Director of the Mount Pleasant Chapel. Always committed to outreach in the community, he served as the first President of SC Stonewall Democrats, and was a long-time Board Member of Bridges (formerly the Hospice of Charleston Foundation), serving as Vice-President and then President during part of his tenure. He was a former member of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus, and was a member of The Charleston Men's Chorus, The Coastal Conservation League, AFFA, and was recognized as a leading voice to those seeking equality. Dr. Riddle was a parishioner at Christ Our King Catholic Church for many years, where he served as a Lector, going on to be a parishioner at The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland while he was serving as the Vice President of Mission Integration with the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, and then St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Champaign, IL. During his time with the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, he served as a Lector as well as briefly Chair of the Pastoral Council before relocating to Champaign, IL. Above all else, Dr. Riddle loved his family, especially his husband, Richard, his son, Iain, and daughter, Celeste, in whom he saw and experienced God's grace each day.

Keith is survived by his husband, Richard D. Gregg of Champaign, IL; his son, lain Keith Robertson Riddle (Nicholle) of Charlotte; NC; his daughter, Celeste Margot Riddle-Shaw (Michael) of Chicago, IL; his brother Lt. Col. E. Neal Riddle (Gayle) of Burke, VA; and his much loved sister, Celeste R. Braxton (Jerry) of Marietta, GA; and his niece and nephews, Jackson, Chappell, Cooper, and Forrest. He is also survived by the person who blessed him with wonderful children, Cathy R. Riddle of Mt. Pleasant, SC.

It was Dr. Riddle's request that those who wish, make donations to continue caring for others through Mepkin Abbey, 1098 Mepkin Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, or "The Harold J. Riddle Memorial Fund" c/o Columbia Theological Seminary, P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 30030.  

Online Condolences: J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Funeral Chapels and Crematory

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