Dr. Steven M. Ridenour (79), Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Temple University, passed away on March 11, 2026, at Foulkeways in Gwynedd, PA.
Steve’s early encounter with the engineering world was on his family farm in Indiana, assisting his father, Garland, repair and restore a 1928 Chevrolet truck. There, he learned the dynamics of internal combustion engines, drive trains, transmissions, and the like. Steve’s newfound passion for solving engineering opportunities extended to rehabilitating several 1946 Chevy trucks used for hauling grain.
Another family member who influenced Steve during his boyhood was his uncle Reldo. In his makeshift shop of a converted chicken house, Reldo performed legerdemain with motors, engines, wheels. Steven was particularly entranced by a race car built from two oil barrels welded together.
The family farm, which raised corn and soybeans, was and is located on “Frogtown Road, a gravel road that has never been paved. It got its name due to an earlier history of drained marshlands favored by these amphibians.
Before Steve received his learner’s permit, he travelled the backroads on a Cushman Highlander Scooter. This heavy mass of metal with the donut tires ferried him to baseball practice, parties, and to and from fields where a John Deere tractor would be waiting to continue plowing, discing, or cultivating. That Cushman scooter was a workhorse, Steve’s entire family of six could ride in comfort.
Born January 11, 1947, in Frankfort, Indiana. Steve attended Clinton Central High School. He particularly prized his work in speech class and the Drama Club. He shined in a supporting role in the play “The Mouse That Roared,’ but was particularly upset that an Indianapolis television station planned to broadcast the movie version on the same day. Steve’s concern was misplaced, however, as theater goers, piqued by the interest in the movie, attended the high school premier in record numbers.
Steve received emotional support from his mother, Marjorie, as she served as the school nurse at Clinton Central. In later years, after Marjorie’s retirement, Steven accompanied her to overseas trips to England, Ireland, and Italy.
Steve was inspired by the dogged determination of his grandmother, Mabel, who also lived on Frogtown Road. After the loss of her husband during the depression, she managed to save the farm, and a lot of Ridenour family identity, by selling produce, washing clothes, and other menial jobs.
Steve built a dehumidifier as a 4-H project, mapping a road to his future. Made of sheet metal aluminum, a compressor, a coil, a power supply, and a rheostat, he won the county competition and went on to place at the State Fair. Upon its return home the unit was pressed into service drying out an often-damp basement. Steve encountered the importance of practical and real-world engineering solutions that would serve him his entire life.
As a young man, and a budding engineer seeking new ideas for mechanical designs, Steve welcomed international ideas for automobile transportation. His first car was a used French Simca. But he was particularly fascinated by his second car, a Swedish Saab. It was so unlike American cars. Steve delighted in its weirdness—a three cylinder 2-cycle engine and front wheel drive. He also marveled at its futuristic, aerodynamic design. All Steve’s early farm community engineering experience ignited a fire in him to attend the Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering in 1965.
During the 1970’s, Steve lived at Bryn Gweled Homesteads in Southampton, PA. This was a small community with social, educational, and professional interactions with your neighbors. This experience included maintaining the common community land, trails through the woods, and the swimming pool. He enjoyed the occasional Saturday outdoor work parties.
Steve was introduced to Abington Friends School (AFS) by the families at Bryn Gweled. He was invited to speak to an upper school science class at AFS taught by Bryn Gweled resident, Maria Peters. Both of Steve’s children, Amos and Mary, attended AFS. Now two of his grandchildren, Leo and Gus, attend AFS.
After the 1970’s, Steve enjoyed attending the reunions and reading the community newsletters. The Bryn Gweled newsletters introduced Steve to several Quaker related life care communities. After he visited two communities frequently mentioned in these newsletters, Steve selected and moved to Foulkeways for 15 years.
Steve became a Master of Science in Engineering, Purdue University, in 1972 and a Doctor of Arts in Engineering, University of Miami, 1980. At Temple University College of Engineering, Ridenour ascended the ranks of Assistant Professor, September 1975; Associate Professor, July 1981; and Professor, July 1990. Steve became a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania in 1976.
Throughout his career, Steve was an early adopter of alternative energy projects and research, including the solar heating of homes and buildings. He held five copyrights on computer programs in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and energy consumption in buildings and an author in two edited books on alternative energy published by Rodale Press.
To benefit his students, Dr. Ridenour is responsible for the creation of the “Ridenour Award” for the Best Senior Design in Mechanical Engineering. In 2007 one of the prizes went to Dr. Ridenour’s students who created a new aircraft design christened “The Smart Wing.” It utilizes special alloys and heat from electrical current to increase the efficiency of aircraft energy consumption.
In 2004 Dr. Ridenour served as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
In 2018 Dr. Ridenour received the distinguished College of Engineering Gallery of Success Honoree. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society, and Pi Tau Sigma, Mechanical Engineering Honorary. Dr. Ridenour was a member of the Cooper River Yacht Club in Collingswood, NJ for over 40 years. Dr. Ridenour participated in the weekly hikes, croquet games, and Parkinson’s fitness and boxing programs at Foulkeways.
After Steve’s retirement he met up in Indiana with his brothers Ed and Craig. Over the years the three travelers rode their scooters to Steve’s “bucket list” destinations. These included The National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio; The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan; The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, Indiana, and the James Dean Museum, Fairmount, Indiana. But during these travels the absolute highlife for Steve was a Kentucky destination where a private owner maintained a fleet of World War II Army tanks, the kind his father Garland drove during the war in Europe. It was a lifetime thrill for Steve to ride in one of these machines.
Dr. Steven Ridenour is survived by his wife, Marcella V. Ridenour, Ph.D. in Gwynedd, PA, son Amos (Yuliya) Ridenour in Plymouth, MN, daughter Mary Marjorie (Greg) Gorski in Jenkintown, PA four grandchildren, Nikki and AJ Ridenour in Plymouth, MN, Leo and Gus Zamparini in Jenkintown, PA. Steve has three brothers, Doug (Phyllis) Ridenour, Craig Ridenour, and Ed (Patty) Ridenour who all reside in Indiana. Barbara, the beloved wife of his brother, Craig, preceded in death.
A private family burial will be held at Whiteman Cemetery, Michigantown, Indiana, next to his parents. Goodwin Funeral Home, 200 S. Main St., Frankfort is assisting with local arrangements. Please visit goodwinfuneralhome.com to leave a condolence.
If you would like to honor Dr. Steven Ridenour with a gift, a memorial donation may be made to the Ridenour Prize in Engineering. Checks can be made out to Temple University and sent to: Temple University College of Engineering, Attention: Amanda Collett, 1947 N. 12th Street, Suite 326, Philadelphia, PA 19122.