Roger Carl Riddell

Roger Riddell passed away peacefully with his family by his side on August 4, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of adventure and love for family and friends.

Born on January 10, 1943, Roger was raised in California's San Fernando Valley, where he grew up on a ranch with his father Carl, mother Helen, and sister Sandra. There, his lifelong passion for motorcycling and desert racing began when he bought a scooter and hid it from his parents at a friend's house.

Roger raced in the American Motorcycle Association's District 37, conquering the desert while racing in events like the Elsinore Grand Prix, Mint 400, Baja 500 and Baja 1000. He kept riding until his 80th birthday, sharing adventures spanning from Mexico to the mountain highways of Alaska.

Roger's career was as adventurous as his racing. His passion for motorsports led him to being recruited to work on the iconic film On Any Sunday. That role launched a successful film and media career, most notably as producer of On Any Sunday II and The Endless Summer II. He also founded and led RNF Media, a media and advertising agency that became the largest independent ad agency on the West Coast.

Some of his happiest moments were spent racing in Baja with friends to Mike's Sky Ranch or with his family and many more friends aboard his sailboat, Bounty, whether moored in Newport Harbor or sailing to Catalina Island.

Roger lived many lifetimes worth of adventures and had friends everywhere he went, but he cherished his role of being a father more than anything else in the world. Roger married his Hollywood sweetheart, Sheila in 1978, and together they started their family and ensured their children learned from as many varieties of people and experiences as possible.

Roger is preceded in death by his sister, Sandra, and survived by his children Josh and Christina, their spouses (Erika and Kevin), and his five grandchildren.