George Riddell was in a league of his own as a local sports fan

SWAMPSCOTT – As high school sports fans go, George and Ann Riddell of Swampscott were in a league of their own.They loved all things Big Blue and their dedication didn’t hinge on having a child, or a grandchild in on the team. They were regulars at the high school football, baseball and basketball games, but their allegiance didn’t begin and end there. They would also follow town youth programs including many of the Little League teams that went deep into the all-star tournaments over the years.George Riddell died Friday at Salem Hospital at the age of 93.”It was the end of an era as far as the two people who were probably the most loyal and supportive fans Swampscott has ever seen,” former Swampscott High football coach Bill Bush said.Bush, who also served as both head football coach and athletic director in Swampscott, said the Riddells were always positive.”They loved the kids, whether we won or lost,” Bush said. “I can’t imagine how many games they attended over all those years.”Bush recalled how when he was coaching football, Ann Riddell would sometimes bake brownies for the players to enjoy after the games and one year, when the team was heading to the Super Bowl, they held a pizza party for the players.”If a kid needed help with a user fee, or couldn’t afford cleats, they would write a check in a heartbeat to help out,” Bush said. “As they got older they had a tough time traveling to Gloucester (for a game), so we would put them right on the bus with us. We didn’t hesitate.”Former Swampscott High football and baseball coach Frank DeFelice said George Riddell was a great friend, as was his wife.”It seemed to me that he was a great friend to everyone,” DeFelice said. ‘He had a very positive approach to anything the Big Blue did. He was a tremendous fan, along with his wife.”DeFelice said Mr. Riddell was there when he first started coaching in the 1960s and was still going to games in the 1990s and 2000s. He recalled how Mr. Riddell would often be accompanied by his grandson, who ended up playing football at the U.S. Naval Academy, to the games.”He had a very rich life,” DeFelice said, adding it’s important to celebrate his life rather than mourn his death.”He was very positive. I think he touched almost everyone in town,” DeFelice said.Bill Bufalino coached many of the great Swampscott Little League teams back in the 1980s and 1990s. He said Mr. Riddell was also wishing the team good luck, whether in person or with a phone call. He would always drive out to the state finals, wherever they might be.Bush said what made the Riddells so special is that their support continued year after year despite the fact they didn’t have a child or a grandchild playing.”Families would come and go, but George and Ann just continued on,” Bush said. “It wasn’t because they were following someone in their family. They just loved being a part of the Big Blue.”Mr. Riddell leaves his wife, Ann; their daughter, Linda Ann McElhannon and her husband, Norris, of Newman, Ga.; their son, Lt. Sean Ryan McElhannon and his wife, Amanda, and two great-grandsons, Ryan and Luke. He also leaves his brother, Alexander Riddell and his wife, Mary Jane, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.