To view a recording of the Vigil Service please got to: https://youtu.be/U-daupXUaOM

John R. Riske, 67, of Reynolds, ND, passed away on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

John R. Riske was born March 8, 1956, to Joe and Florence (Budzeak) Riske. Graduating from Fisher High School, John became a union iron worker, traveling the country and working on projects such as the Great Plains Gasification Plant in North Dakota and the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant in Washington. After a devastating fall, John was no longer insurable, so John, his father, and his brother Joey opened Riske Roofing and Insulation. John then set about pursuing the lady God had told him he would marry. In a tender moment, John laid bare his heart and told Joyce Scholand that she would be his bride. Joyce immediately set out to teach 2 years in Bogotá, Colombia. Undeterred, John remained close friends, and they wed in 1987.

In 1990, John began coursework at the University of North Dakota for Social Work. After graduation, he worked for Red River Valley Community Action and rehabbed homes for the poor and elderly in a five-county area. Ever the avid hunter and fisherman, John eagerly anticipated deer hunting season, the first gopher in the spring, the walleye bite on Lake of the Woods, ice fishing, and the retelling of the stories. He taught his sons to hunt and fish. He encouraged his wife to lay off minimum maintenance roads, to no avail. John and Joyce taught their sons the value of helping others, of noticing those who needed help and stepping in before they were asked. A committed man of God, John was fervent in prayer and a staunch family man, always planning gatherings, connecting with classmates, organizing vacations with friends and family, and just being present to those he loved.

John loved life and dealt nobly with many physical limitations: losing his right leg below the knee, having a massive heart attack that left him with 20% function, and struggling with kidney issues. He continued to plant garden, mow lawn, can tomatoes, fish, and be chief cook and bottle washer. His chicken dumpling and ham and bean soups are legendary.

John is survived by his bride, Joyce; sons, Peter (Werlaine) and Tom; grandchildren, Cadence and Colton; his mother, Florence; siblings, Joanne (Jerry) Rozeveld, Betty (Larry) Longoria, Joey (Joni), and Mike (Shirley); and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his father, Joe, and his sister, Diane.

Mass of Christian Burial: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Reynolds, ND.
Visitation: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday with a 6:30 p.m. Rosary Service and 7:00 p.m. Vigil Service in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.  Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the liturgy in the church on Saturday.
Burial: Calvary Cemetery in Reynolds, ND.