QUEENSBURY – Howard A. Ritchie, 86, of Queensbury, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 27th, 2014, at the Fort Hudson Nursing Center.
Born October 10, 1927 in Gouverneur NY, he was the son of the late Emerson and Louisa Ritchie and worked on the family dairy farm until he graduated from Richville High School in 1945. He was the last WWII draftee from St. Lawrence County in December 1945 and served two years primarily at the Army hospital in Bremerhaven, Germany. Upon his return, he attended the New York State Agricultural and Technical Institute in Canton NY (earning spending money playing trumpet in a dance band) and graduated in 1949. After marrying Gretchen later that year, he bought his own dairy farm, started a family raising two boys–Scott and Brad (one with special needs) and took in another boy, Tom, who became a ‘son’ as well. After twelve years of building the dairy farm virtually from scratch, Howard was looking for a new challenge. He sold the farm, joined Farm Credit Services and moved the family to Hudson Falls. After a successful 25-year career providing a diversified portfolio of loans for dairy and horse farms, orchards, rural housing, farm equipment and even airplanes, he retired as Assistant Vice-President and Manager of the regional office located in Hudson Falls. Howard was an active member of Kiwanis and was one of the original founders of the local ARC (Association for Retarded Citizens) chapter and subsequently was on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee. He volunteered his builder skills to help modify the ARC group home where his son Scott currently resides.
In his free time, Howard pursued many interests. He dabbled in photography, loved gardening, cruising on Lake George in his boat (putt-putt rides as he would call them), and camping with good friends on the Mother Bunch Islands on the north end of that lake. He truly enjoyed summers with friends and family at the family cottage on the Hudson River, and once retired, winters in Florida. Regardless of location, he loved spending his days outside tending his flowers and plants and generally “puttering around the house”. Howard was bitten by the golf bug and enjoyed rounds with his son Brad and long-time friend, Ron. He always looked forward to the cocktail hours with best friends, Don and Pat (and dog Jeter), Ron and Carol, and Ed and Marsha and the fun times, boat rides and gourmet meals with his son Tom and wife Kathleen at their home on Lake George. He thoroughly enjoyed the winters he and Gretchen spent in Florida – recently this wouldn’t have been possible except for the friendship and never-ending assistance of “angels” Judy and Phil. To all of the friends near and far, we can’t thank them enough for the help they provided.
His sister, Evelyn, and parents predecease him. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Gretchen; sons Scott of Hudson Falls NY, Bradford and his wife Sally of Manchester CT, and Thomas Mitchell and his wife Kathleen of Sedona AZ; sister-in-law Ann Real of Leesburg FL; and niece Jane Wilson and her husband Andrew Real of Uxbridge MA; and numerous other nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Fort Hudson Nursing Center for providing compassionate and dedicated care and the doctors and nurses who have attended to him over the past year.
Howard’s family will receive friends at Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street, Hudson Falls on Thursday, October 9, 2014, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., immediately followed by the memorial service on-site.
Burial in the family plot in Richville, NY will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, Howard’s memory may be honored by a contribution in his name to WWAARC at 436 Quaker Road, Queensbury NY 12804.
Eternal peace and rest in blue skies and warm sun Howard/Dad.