Obituaries

John Ridgeway "Johnny" Fletcher

Photo of John Ridgeway "Johnny" Fletcher
John Ridgeway "Johnny" Fletcher, 75 of Little Rock, loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, and friend, died Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at UAMS in Little Rock. Born February 19, 1940 in St. Louis, Mo., he was the son of the late William Ridgeway Fletcher and Dorothy (Comer) Fletcher Cole. John was six months old when he moved with his parents to Bauxite, Ark., a company town where everyone knew one another. He described his childhood as idyllic, playing from dawn to dusk with cherished friends. John graduated from Bauxite High School in 1958. John began his college career at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in the fall of 1958 where he studied architecture and was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. John earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1963 and upon graduation began a successful architecture career that he enjoyed for over 50 years. He worked for prominent Little Rock architects Bruce Anderson and Nolan Blass before joining Fletcher Miller Dean Architects in the early 1970's. In 1981, John founded The Fletcher Firm Architects in Little Rock, which he owned and managed until his retirement in 2012. The firm was responsible for the design of hundreds of elderly healthcare and rehabilitation facilities throughout the United States for many of the country's top healthcare providers. John was an active member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Board. He was appointed by then-Governor David Pryor as a board member to the Arkansas State Board of Architects. A long-standing supporter of the University of Arkansas, John and his wife recently established the John R. and Judy W. Fletcher Endowed Scholarship, awarded annually to a U of A Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design student with high academic standards and demonstrated academic promise. John was an avid horseracing fan. He and his wife Judy traveled all over the country watching the ponies run but especially at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY. He owned several horses over the years and his stable was called Round Table Stable, named for the table where he and his friends laughed and told stories for over 35 years at the Country Club of Little Rock. In addition, John enjoyed playing tennis, hunting, listening to music, watching football and participating in float trips at the Kings River with friends and family. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Judy Waddell Fletcher; two daughters, Karen Fletcher Malloy (Mike) of Atlanta, Ga., and Kristin Fletcher Litzinger (Steve) of Fayetteville; a son, William Ridgeway Fletcher of Little Rock; one sister, Gail Fletcher Kinney (Ragon) of Albuquerque, N.M.; seven grandchildren, Fletcher, Ashby and Katie Malloy of Atlanta, Ga., Alex and Ridgeway Fletcher of Little Rock, and William and Grace Litzinger of Fayetteville, Ark.; two nephews, Ragon and Mark Kinney; and trusted business partner and friend, Greg Steinbeck. The family wishes to express appreciation to John's caregivers, Robert Brikha and James Towns, as well as his devoted physicians. Memorial donations may be made to one of the following organizations: University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, 120 Vol Walker Hall, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701, ATTN: Development; Arkansas Arts Center, P.O. Box 2137, Little Rock, Ark. 72203-2137; or UAMS Foundation, Stop Alzheimer's, Reynolds Institute on Aging #748, 4391 W. Markham, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. Friends and family are invited to a celebration of John's life to be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock with The Rev. Dr. Christoph Keller III officiating. A reception will be held after the service in Morrison Hall. Arrangements are by Ruebel Funeral Home of Little Rock. To sign the online register visit www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published October 23, 2015

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