Word came this morning that Nick Riddell had passed away last night. Nick was a fascinating characters someone whose life would make an excellent book and movie. But his life will not appear on the screen or in a book for he died, as he wanted it, a quiet death.

I first met Nick in the 60’s when he was a Carmelite priest and just finding his voice in the peace and justice movements. He was not only a supporter of the selective service files burning of Milwaukee 14 he was involved in a similar “Hit and Stay” action, the Chicago 15. Somewhere along the line he left the priesthood and when it came time to go to prison Nick went underground. After he was caught he went to the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute. Since we moved out of Milwaukee when he got out of prison we lost track of him but understood he became a popular bartender in a community pub called the Interlude. When we moved back to Milwaukee Nick had been a drug and alcohol counselor. We saw him at some reunion events and understand he had become quite an artist.

When he got ill he moved to some assisted housing unit and kept to himself except when there was get together of old friends. I remember seeing him at our house when we had a gathering of old friends. He looked old and ill but still had that wonderful smile and quick wit about him. Sadly the last few times we saw Nick was at funerals of mutual friends.

One of the people who kept in touch with Nick and told us about his death was a high school student, John, in the 60’s, the time of the Milwaukee 14 and Chicago 15 actions. He got to know Nick when Nick was a bartender at the community pub and kept in close contact with him till the end.

Nick was a man of many lives but singularly committed to others. Even when he was ill he did not want people to fuss over him. John and another friend who kept in contact with Nick till the end said he made no arrangements for his death or memorial service. I wrote back and said we needed one, not for Nick, but for ourselves. His death was expected but leaves us sad. We the living need to remember him as an inspiration to our lives. He was, in his mind, just an ordinary person but to many of us he was extraordinary and his death is our lost.

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