Doris Ritter Obituary

Doris S. Ritter

Born: April 11, 1926

Died: August 13, 2016

Doris S. Ritter, age 90, passed away in her sleep on August 13, 2016 in the loving presence of her family. She was born April 11, 1926 to James and Anne Standring in Lakewood, OH.

She graduated with a B.S in Business from Ohio University in 1948 and with a M.S. in Organizational Development from George Williams College in 1978. While at Ohio University she met the love of her life, Wayne L. Ritter, whom she married on May 14, 1949.

In the late 1960s until 1973, while living in Sandusky, Ohio, she worked with Head Start, starting as a teacher and ending up as a director. The family moved to LaGrange, IL in the early 1970's, and during that decade, Doris held positions with the Des Plaines Valley Community Center, the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, and Thornton Community College. Starting in 1980, Doris worked for AT&T as a training specialist and in 1990, she became a vice president with Tuggle Consulting Group.

She had many interests and was actively involved in numerous charitable organizations including UCP Seguin, Special Olympics, United Way Suburban Chicago, the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, Community Diversity Group of LaGrange and Kids at Work Program. She had been a member of the American Society for Training and Development, Business and Professional Women and Toastmasters for many years. Doris was a staunch supporter of civil rights and was committed to teaching tolerance and inclusion. In recognition of this commitment, she was presented with the Medgar Evers Award in 2009 by the LaGrange area NAACP.

Perhaps the most significant of her many endeavors came through attempting to help her son, Keith, who suffered a brain injury at a very young age. Doris and Wayne gave sacrificially of their lives by working through a program they hoped would improve his brain functioning. This multi-year undertaking required their day-in-and-day-out dedication, plus that of their family and friends. It is through this effort that she will be remembered by many who knew and loved her the most.

Wayne predeceased Doris on July 25, 2015.

Doris is survived by her five children, Gary (Dalia) of Montague, MI, Keith of Stickney, IL, Sharon Ritter-Beall (Clay) of Preston, MD, Curt (Mary) of Waterloo, IA, and Nancy Knightly (Sean) of Miller Beach, IN. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tara Quaranta, James, Alayna, Ryan, Dana and great-grandchildren: Jada, Billy, Christian, and Damien.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in LaGrange on September 17, 2016 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to UCP Seguin, 3100 S. Central Ave. Cicero, IL 60804.