Donald Riedelsperger

Donald Riedelsperger, age 62, of Waddell, Arizona passed away on June 6th, 2020. Don was born on June 18th, 1957, to Ervin Riedelsperger and Mavis Vermeland in DeKalb, Illinois. Don was the youngest of three children and was “an awesome little brother.” He graduated Hinckley – Big Rock High School class of 1975, and then attended Waubonsee Community College to get his degree in electronics. Don married Renee Jeffery and together they began their family. He loved taking his family camping, fishing, and welcoming their friends into his home as if they were his own. As his children grew up, he encouraged them to make their own decisions and put their families first. He was proud of the lives they had built for themselves and found joy in watching his family grow. Michael and Nick, Don’s sons-in-law, were like the sons he never had. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge and fatherly advice to them. He enjoyed flying drones with Michael and playing board games with Nick. Don also loved to play with his grandchildren and was truly the world’s proudest grandpa. He loved taking Maddie and Anthony to sit by the pond to eat doughnuts and chocolate milk together. He enjoyed taking Chase and Finn to play at the park. He always had many fun activities planned for them when they were together. Don loved helping children whether his own or others. He started a dart club at church to give the kids fun things to do in his small community and was actively involved in the local youth group. Don also loved to help his wife with her school children. Her students looked forward to the days he would come in and teach them how to make stop motion movies. At the end of every school year, he bought them a pizza party to celebrate the start of summer. His kindness and love for children radiated from within and he was beloved by all. He was “everyone’s dad”. Don had a quick-witted and snappy sense of humor. His jokes could instantly bring an entire room to tears of laughter. He and his daughter, Katie, would often get into quip wars, going back and forth making smart comments to each other until they were laughing too hard to continue. Don and his daughter Kim loved to ride roller coasters, travel, eat chocolate chip cookies, and spend Saturday mornings watching cartoons together. He introduced his daughter Kris to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, teaching her to explore the world and helping her to discover a sense of adventure they shared. One of Don’s favorite things to do was to travel with his wife Renee. They spent a summer backpacking across the Western United States visiting sites like Yellowstone National Park and The Black Hills. Every weekend he loved to go driving or hiking near their home in the White Tank Mountains, looking at wildlife and the beautiful desert scenery. He enjoyed entertaining friends in his home or spending quiet evenings watching his favorite shows with Renee and his dog. Don is survived by his wife Renee Riedelsperger, his daughters Kimberly Franco (Michael), Kris Riedelsperger, Katelyn Gregory (Nick), sister Jean Laskey, 4 grandchildren: Madelein Franco, Anthony Franco, Chase Ward, Finn Gregory, and his dog Annie. He is preceded in death by his parents Ervin and Mavis Riedelsperger, his brother Gerald Riedelsperger, and his dog Molli.

Donald Riedelsperger

June 6, 2020