Debra Lynn Ridley (Sokol) was born in Hammond, Indiana, on December 30, 1957, and passed away on August 26, 2024. Anyone who knew her would say she was born a student of life. She was a trailblazer in her education as the first family member to attend college. After she graduated from Hammond High School as salutatorian in 1976, she got her degree in political science at Northwestern University in 1980. She began her career in stock brokerage at the Midwest Stock Exchange but switched to the legal field for the rest of her career. She worked at Kirkland & Ellis for a number of years before moving to Arizona in 2004, where she performed a legal assistant role at Jardine, Baker, Hickman & Houston until she retired in late 2015.
As fiercely as she was proud of her career, she was prouder of her family. Any family member of Debra’s would say that he or she was her favorite niece, nephew, brother, or sister-in-law because Debra made every person feel like her entire world. In 2016, Rick Ridley entered that world. She instantly knew he matched her love and determination in life. The two married in April 2019 and built their dream home in Scottsdale. They enjoyed their time together in big moments and small, from hosting holiday parties to touring various museums and art festivals. Debra loved aesthetics of all forms, and this came with an eye for design and style that was unique, bold, and beautiful like her.
Debra was immensely generous-whether it was the gift of goods, advice, or time, her joy came from giving to those she loved. She will be dearly missed, from her addicting desserts and quirky dance moves, to her philosophical ideas and love of life itself. She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Helen Sokol. She is survived by her husband, Rick, her brothers and sisters-in-law, Mike and Ceri, Dave and Cathy, Marc and Anne, and Jack and Cecilia, and the many nieces and nephews she doted on endlessly. The family will be honoring Debra’s life with a private memorial service.
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