John Arthur Riddle
John Arthur Riddle, 70, of Guthrie, OK, passed away December 4, 2024 in Oklahoma City, OK. He was born August 23, 1954, in New Brighton, PA, to Dana Anthony Marsh and Margie Marie Sturgill.
John served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam on the Nimitz aircraft carrier. After his service he worked in electronics and started dancing for recreation. He then fell in love with dancing which led to him taking dance classes and teacher training and then taught country western, swing and other dances for fifteen years. This evolved into him hosting dance workshops, weekend dance events and various dance group events on cruise ships. During this time, John met his wife Anita in 1986 where he was a dance teacher and DJ at Alpine Village in Torrance CA. In 2004 John and Anita moved from California to Guthrie to be closer to family. Here they continued Dance-Fun by hosting just dance cruises. In 2018 they sold DanceFun and switched to renovating homes to rent or sell.
His laughter, smile and boundless sense of humor will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
John is preceded in death by his parents and brother Paul Sturgill.
He is survived by his wife, Anita; his son, Christopher Riddle and wife, Mina; grandchildren, Layla and Cain; sisters, Jana Barrett and husband, Rob, Marie Kidd, and Vicki Wilson; nephews, Stephen Barrett, Drew Barrett, and Tyler Sturgill; and niece Melissa Riddle.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Thursday, November 12, 2024 at the First Christian Church in Guthrie. Interment will be at Fort Sill National Cemetery at 2:00 P.M. in Elgin, Oklahoma. Services are under the direction of Smith-Gallo Funeral Home, Guthrie.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, 3:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at Smith-Gallo Funeral Home.
Friends may sign the online guestbook at www.smithgallo.com.
Published in the Guthrie News Leader - December 11, 2024