- Brenda Lynn Ridings
April 17, 1957 - May 11, 2021
Brenda Lynn (Reams) Ridings, age 64, of London, Kentucky, passed away at St. Joseph Hospital on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. She was the third child of Roscoe Burton Reams and Pearl Joyce Reams. She was the wife of James A. "Jim" Ridings. Brenda and Jim had been married to each other for almost thirty-six years. Her loving husband, Jim, survives her. Brenda is survived by her children, James Milby "Jay" (Kelly) Ridings, Jennifer Lynn Chandler, and Leigh Elizabeth Ridings (husband Blake Martin), and by two wonderful grandsons, James Maddox Ridings and Logan Ridings Martin. She is also survived by her father, Roscoe Burton Reams, and by three sisters, Vivian (Tony) Henson, Sandra (Mitch) Goodin, and Carolyn (Hoss-deceased) Ward. Brenda was preceded in death by her mother, Pearl Joyce Reams, and her brother, Randall Sherman Reams.
Some of Brenda's greatest pleasures were her flowers and vegetable gardens which she planted around her house every Spring. Her family and friends loved to come to Brenda's home to admire the vast amount of colorful and beautiful flowers she raised and to commune on the back patio among the flowers for cook-outs.
Brenda was a long-time member of First Christian Church in London Kentucky, and she served on the Board as a Deacon. She worked as a legal administrative assistant for her husband, Jim. She was known among her church family and work family and others for her excellent cooking, and always took pride in preparing food with meticulous detail – her world's best cheesecake being a prime example. For decades, Brenda would make a birthday dessert for each of her co-workers on their birthdays. Friends and family frequently contacted her with a specific dessert request for all kinds of occasions each year.
Brenda also loved travelling – often locally. She enjoyed exploring Laurel County and other Eastern Kentucky counties. She would visit the Smoky Mountains every chance she could, and she had standby favorite locations she wanted to see on each trip. Another of her joys was frequently travelling to South Carolina to gather with her immediate family to reconnect, and when she could persuade us, to play games late into the night.
Brenda's primary focus in life was her family, and she was undoubtedly the best mother and "Gam Gam" that anyone could ever hope for. She devoted herself unselfishly and with the greatest of energy to raising her three children and taking care of her husband. She eagerly looked forward to every minute she could spend with her children and with her grandsons, Maddox and Logan. Brenda truly saw the best in everyone and made a positive impact on every person she met; her contagious smile will be remembered by so many.
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