Frank "Rip" Reidelbach
Obituary
Ebensburg, PA - Francis Joseph "Rip" Reidelbach lll passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 7th, 2026. He was 81 years old.
Preceded in death by loving wife Sonia (Dickson); parents Colonel Francis Joseph Reidelbach Jr. and Rose (Thomas) Reidelbach; sister, Dorothy Reidelbach; and brothers Patrick and Thomas Reidelbach.
Survived by daughter Erika (Rich) Hough and grandson Ian Francis Hough of Ebensburg; sister Maria Reidelbach of Rosendale, NY; sister-in-law Peg Woodburn and special great-niece Stella Bean LaRock with whom he shared one of his last smiles, both of Wisconsin, and of course his beloved Blackie the turtle.
Rip had a magical childhood with his four siblings, a journey that carried him from Richmond Virginia to Germany and the shores of Northern California among many other places. He moved to Ebensburg in his junior year of high school. There he met his wife of 57 years, his Sonie. He was truly well rounded; a jack of all trades. He built a house from the ground up without a blueprint. He was a history and literature buff who taught History and English at Bishop Carroll High School for several years in the late 1970s, before leaving to go underground for a coal mining job at Bethlehem for 10 years. He earned a Masters in Labor Relations at St. Francis while working full time on swing shift in the mines. This helped spark his passion for unions, and he fought for the rights of the working class up until the end, attending rallies as recently as April of 2025. He sat on several local political and mine related boards and committees, and also volunteered at the Cambria County Historical Society, Potato Fest, Wheels And Wings, and Art in Bloom. He enjoyed playing trivia every week with "the gang." Finally, his love for cars rivaled any other of his pastimes. From racing them to building and restoring them, he was a connoisseur of automobiles, and more recently, vintage travel trailers.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Cambria County Historical Society or Library.
At the request of his family and in keeping with Rip's wishes, there will be no viewing or services. A celebration of life will be held in late May.
Please visit www.online-tribute/Rip to share a memory.
Gallery - please post photos of Rip if you have them!
Memory wall
Post a message or share your memories and photos.
January 12, 2026
My memories are so many and a lot when we were mostly teenagers. You took me on my first harrowing motorcycle ride I loved it! Then the ride in that old truck that had no floor ( I’m not sure about the brakes). You proudly showed it to me a couple of years ago. We even had a little laugh about it. I admired your commitment to the union and our politics. I can’t believe you’re gone but I know my sweet sissy is waiting with open arms for her soul mate. But you gave us the gift of Erika and Ian. Thank you
January 10, 2026
Rip,
I will miss you and our entire family will miss you. Your were the patriarch and leader of the Thomas family, far and wide. You provided leadership and guidance to the family with your wonderful values and compassion. I am proud of your union and political activities and beliefs.. Your and Sonya's love for each other was an inspiration.
Also I wish I had a scintilla of your skills and technical capabilities. And I treasured your dry sense of humor.
I am happy that you are with Sonya again, as I know you missed her terribly.
You have all of my respect and love.
I will miss you and our entire family will miss you. Your were the patriarch and leader of the Thomas family, far and wide. You provided leadership and guidance to the family with your wonderful values and compassion. I am proud of your union and political activities and beliefs.. Your and Sonya's love for each other was an inspiration.
Also I wish I had a scintilla of your skills and technical capabilities. And I treasured your dry sense of humor.
I am happy that you are with Sonya again, as I know you missed her terribly.
You have all of my respect and love.
January 10, 2026
I met Rippey 30 years ago through the Dislocated Worker program and we immediately hit it off. He loved fast cars and so did I. He had a wickedly bad sense of humor and so do I. And he was union, especially UMWA, and my husband worked with him at Mine 33. But, the most important part of our friendship was that he cared for people and wanted to help them move on from a bad situation.
Even after retirement we stayed fast friends and Sonia quickly became a friend too. What really cemented our friendship until his death was our great trivia team, Rapid Response. We cherish our time times together, win or lose, and our group of like minded snarky friends. We have missed him so much this past year.
Rip, you are now with Sony and my condolences to Erika and family.
Even after retirement we stayed fast friends and Sonia quickly became a friend too. What really cemented our friendship until his death was our great trivia team, Rapid Response. We cherish our time times together, win or lose, and our group of like minded snarky friends. We have missed him so much this past year.
Rip, you are now with Sony and my condolences to Erika and family.
January 10, 2026
I had several opportunities to canvas door to door with Rip. He was so passionate and a die hard Dem. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Rip and learning about his past and crazy adventures. Rip in peace Rippy.
Jennifer Bentley
Jennifer Bentley
January 8, 2026
Uncle Rip...so many childhood memories. My favorite is when you all lived in that apt in Ebensburg. You had that old truck and would take Erika and i to fuel it up. I loved that. You liked to talk about your dad's history in the military and still have his gun. You'd entertain all of us with Blackie, who btw is so lovingly taken care of by Erika and Ian. And amazed us all with the beautiful remolding of Posey's house. You took good care of Greaty when she fell ill. I know you missed her terribly when she passed. I take comfort in knowing you are together again.❤️
January 8, 2026
Hey Uncle Rippie,
I wish we had more time to spend with you. But I know you and Greatie are finally reunited. When I think of all the memories I have with you, I will always be led to the first summer I remember in Pennsylvania, I was 6. We would go down this little path and pick fruits for Blackie. I will always hold those memories dear to my heart, love you.
I wish we had more time to spend with you. But I know you and Greatie are finally reunited. When I think of all the memories I have with you, I will always be led to the first summer I remember in Pennsylvania, I was 6. We would go down this little path and pick fruits for Blackie. I will always hold those memories dear to my heart, love you.
January 8, 2026
The influence my cousin Rippie had on my life can not be denied. Falling from the same genetic tree our apples lay pretty close together in regard to what our hands were destined to do. His advice, ideas and help on nearly any subject was often sought by me and he gave willingly. And, on the occasion he might ask ME for advice or ideas, well, that was a good feeling. In my projects and my life I often ask myself 'How would Rip do it'. My Hero
Xoxoxo
Xoxoxo
January 8, 2026
We will miss you Rip at family reunions . You were the patriarch who kept everything organized and made the burgers and dogs. I’ll always remember the Burro and your amazing airstream , tool collection, gorgeous cars and woodworking skills. I’m so glad to have known you. Rest in peace dear Rip.
January 8, 2026
Hi Daddio,
Everything is surreal right now but I believe you are at peace and lived your best life until the very end. I am honored to be your daughter and love you so very much. Thank you for recognizing my capability and pushing me toward success. It couldn't have been easy those first several years of my adulthood ;)
Everything is surreal right now but I believe you are at peace and lived your best life until the very end. I am honored to be your daughter and love you so very much. Thank you for recognizing my capability and pushing me toward success. It couldn't have been easy those first several years of my adulthood ;)
Favorites
Where was Rip born?
Richmond, VA
What was Rip's favorite TV show?
Green Acres
What cause was important to Frank?
Equality, justice, and true love of the US.
What was Frank's favorite Color?
Orange
Donate
In honor of our beloved Rippie and in lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Cambria County Historical Society www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6L8JMFFHR9HZE&source=url
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