Ora Belle "Ridgie'' Barnett

Ora Belle (Ridgie) Holdridge Barnett

Ridgie lived a long and wonderful life, passing on May 25, 2026. She was 98 years old.

She was born on May 15, 1928 in Quincy, MA and raised in Madison, CT to S. Archie and Sally (Sarah Lois Fuller) Holdridge. She graduated from UConn as a Pi Beta Phi sorority sister prior to her marriage, and later received her Masters in Education from SUNY at Oswego, New York.

She married Charlie (Charles Russell) Barnett August 27, 1950 and had 5 children: Steven Russell, Jeffrey Charles, Julie Ann, Cynthia and Ellen Holdridge Barnett.  She was predeceased by her husband Charlie November 16, 2002, her son Jeffrey in January 2022 and her brother S. Wesley Holdridge in 2018.  She is survived by her brother Dale H. and his wife Patty Holdridge of Madison CT, her children Steven and his wife Carol of Flanders NY, Julie  and her husband John of Gig Harbor, WA, Cindy and her husband Mark of Federal Way, WA and Ellen of Seattle, WA, plus 7 grandchildren: Sarah (Michael), Greg (Estephany), Jeffrey, Amy (Joe), Allison, Thomas (Brianna) and Emily (Alex) and 9 great grandchildren: Benjamin, Hannah, Sadie, Rebecca, Charlie, Logan, Cohen, Lilah and Cole.

Her family moved from Oswego, NY to Auburn, NY to East Aurora, NY to Westhampton Beach, NY where she had varied careers in teaching elementary school, selling Mary Kay Cosmetics and Legend Office Furniture.  She was a Girl Scout leader for all 3 of her daughters, a church deacon and Ladies Auxiliary Guild and chaired the Family Counseling annual gala for several years at St. Mark’s Episcopal church in WHB.  She was president of the Interfaith Council and a leader in the annual International Day of Prayer.

She ran for Village Trustee office 11 times and won each election, taking joy in shaking everyone’s hand in the Village.  In that office, she helped to beautify and improve the Village.  Under her leadership, the Village became a Tree City, moved colonial houses into the Village, set an anchor historical marker at the marina, placed hanging baskets and benches down Main Street and installed a gazebo and garden on the Village Green.  She was the president of the WHB Historical Society and the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society and a member of the WHB Garden Club. 

Ridgie loved her family, her Village, antiques and history and Bridge parties, bird watching, long walks and travel.  She taught her kids camp songs on family canoe trips in the Adirondacks and encouraged neighborhood skits and pageants at Christmas. She cooked feasts for the many large family gatherings and was always smiling and humming a song.

A celebration of Ridgie’s life will take place on Sunday, July 19, at 2:00 PM at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Westhampton Beach, NY. 

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