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Obituaries published in the February 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Randy Riggs

AUSTIN – Randy Riggs, a sportswriter for the Austin American-Statesman for more than 36 years until his retirement in 2013, died Jan. 19 at his home in South Austin. He was 71.

Riggs was born in Vienna, W.Va., where he lived with his family until his parents moved to Cleburne while he was in elementary school.

He graduated from North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas, with a journalism degree before embarking on a long professional career that included stints with the Lubbock Avalanche Journal and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times before he joined the Statesman staff.

Riggs covered a variety of sports, such as Texas Longhorns football, basketball, and track and field; Texas A&M football; the Southwest Conference; and professional sports from the Houston Oilers to the San Antonio Spurs.

He is survived by his wife, Patti Smith Riggs; two children and other relatives.

Memorial services were held Jan. 28 at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, where Riggs served as a deacon.

Memorials may be made to Texas Search and Rescue (https://www.texsar.org/donate) or Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church (https://www.shpc.org/give).

Gloria Rosenzweig Ribnick

HOUSTON – Gloria Rosenzweig Ribnick, longtime Houston journalist and co-owner of Ribnick and Associates Advertising and Public Relations, died Dec. 29. She was 95.

A native Houstonian, Ribnick was a journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as editor of the UT yearbook, the Cactus.

In 1952, she married Jerry Ribnick, a fellow journalist who was working for the Houston Chronicle at the time. They were married 44 years until his death in 1996. During that time, they owned Ribnick and Associates Advertising and Public Relations, where they served Houstonians in the community in the nascent years of the PR industry. The agency won several regional awards for TV and radio commercials they produced.

The Ribnicks were also active in Jewish and secular community nonprofits, serving on the boards of many charities. They volunteered at Goldberg B’nai B’rith Towers, a senior housing center that Jerry Ribnick had helped to establish, along with several others. They were active at their synagogue, Congregation Emanu El.

Following her husband’s death, Gloria Ribnick took on a new career with Jewish Family Service. As director of marketing and PR for 25 years, she produced the first printed newsletters for JFS that brought in more than $10 million in donations. She also produced annual JFS meetings and managed the staff’s United Way campaign. In addition, she wrote articles for the the Jewish Herald-Voice and community newspapers in Houston.

She is survived by two children, three grandchildren and other relatives.

Following a private family graveside service at Congregation Emanu El Cemetery, a memorial service was held Jan. 2 at Congregation Emanu El.

Memorials may be made to the Linda L. Burger Discretionary Fund or the Gloria Ribnick Marketing Internship Fund, both at Jewish Family Service, 4131 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77025; or to the Gloria and Jerry Ribnick Funds for Passover meals or BBYO Leadership at the Houston Jewish Community Foundation, 5603 S. Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096.