Edward Charles Riha

Edward Charles Riha Sr., 83, of Indianapolis passed away on March 21, 2021. He will be remembered as a deeply committed family man and a man of service, devoted to the Lord, his loved ones, and the communities of which he was a part.

Ed is survived by his 7 children Barbara Riha Bohling (Larry), Thomas Riha (Julie), Michael Riha (Debra), Steven Riha (Kathryne), Christine Riha Kassebnia (Hassan), Patricia Yeager (Ernie), Edward Riha (Laura); 14 loving grandchildren, and 9 beautiful great-grandchildren.

Ed is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 48 years, Dorothy Lynne Riha, and his parents, Edward and Mabel Riha.

Born, raised, and married on Chicago’s near northside, Ed started both his family and his career in the windy city before moving to Indianapolis in 1970. He brought his love of the Cubs and a recognizable Chicago accent to the east side of Indy, soon transitioning to be a huge Notre Dame fan and a stalwart Hoosier. Always recognized for his strong work ethic and outstanding organizational skills, Ed worked his way up to become the General Manager for Unistrut in Indianapolis until his retirement in 1998.

An only child himself, Ed was blessed to create the big, loving family that he always wanted. His idea of family was expansive: family friends, friends of friends – all were welcome and cherished. In fact, he was often in awe of this beautiful network of family and friends that he loved so deeply.

With a personality as large as his heart, Ed was known as the “life of the party”, a jokester who was never at a loss for words and knew no strangers. He was a member of many organizations, such as Indianapolis Race Walking where he was began competing at the age of 50.  Ed was also a Boy Scoutmaster who carved out time to teach his sons and the troop the values of scouting, life, and the importance of having fun.

Always appreciative of good times with good friends, the Knights of Columbus had a special place in Ed’s heart. Friends may remember Ed serving breakfast or selling tickets over the many years that he was an active member and eventually, the Grand Knight.

Ed was a man who lived his faith in all ways possible. He belonged to St. Simon Catholic Church for years and was an active member of the community, building life-long friendships and supporting the parish. He was also a member of the St. Pius X church.

In recent years Ed was very active in the Noblesville “Climb”, a place for people with Parkinson’s disease to mentally, physically and spiritually fight the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Edward will be dearly missed by his family, friends and all who were impacted by his kind heart and generous soul.

A funeral mass for family and close friends will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 11am at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Edward will be laid to rest in Washington Park East cemetery. The grave site service will be for family only.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Indiana Parkinson’s organization in the name of Edward Riha: https://www.indianaparkinson.org/donations/make-a-donation-ipf/