Corrections_Today_May_June_2019

From Jim’s Desk In memory of Walter B. Ridley nEWS & vIEWS I do not recall the exact date or time I met Walter Ridley. I do recall that he was an assistant Delegates. If either of them was ahead of Walter, he too was accused of

playing the game with him. Walter Ridley went home forever several months ago. I was honored and humbled to be asked by Ghia, his daughter, and Rev. Dr. Ridley, his wife, to speak at his “homegoing.” His service was an uplifting celebration of his life. I told the golf stories. And those that knew him well in his church laughed at my golf stories. I even wrote a poem about his golf game and read it in the church. Rid Man was an E.R. Cass recipi- ent and a corrections professional in every sense of the word. He wasn’t worth a nickel on the golf course, but he sure had fun. I miss playing golf and I sure will miss Rid Man. His humor was unmatched in ACA crowds, his smile was a Rid- ley trademark and his laughter was contagious. Rest in Peace, Walter Ridley, and if there’s golf in Heaven, give the correct score!

cheating. It didn’t matter if the score was legitimate, if you were ahead of Walter, you obviously were cheating. After each hole of play, I usually kept score and would ask Ridley (who I called “Rid Man,” for some unknown reason) what his score was. He never could keep a straight face when he pretended to count using his finger and waving it in the air for each stroke. After his “count” was through it was always 5 or lower, with an occasional 6 to appear “honest.” The fact is we all cheated a little bit, me included. We weren’t playing golf as professionals. We didn’t golf to make money. We golfed to have fun, nothing less and nothing more. None of us kept straight faces when we announced our scores, and it was easy for me because all I did was sim- ply write down the score for myself. Golf was a release for Walter as he had a stressful job as Director of D.C. Corrections. He was always laughing and making fun of everyone

director with Hal Williams in the District of Columbia Department of Corrections. Seems like way back when, when you saw Hal, you saw Walter, or vice versa. During this period I was serving as the Arlington County Sheriff and worked closely with the District gov- ernment. Both Hal and Walter were professional colleagues but were also good friends. Hal passed away several years ago. Walter went full steam ahead until his heart and breathing slowed him down in recent years. Even then, Walter would meet Jeff Washington and me for lunch, carrying a battery pack that helped regulate his heart and his breathing, I think. Walter loved golf, even though he wasn’t very good. But on the golf course, he always accused me of cheating. Several times in a foursome, one of the players was a minister of a local church. Another player was a member of the Virginia House of

6 — May/June 2019 Corrections Today

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