Oct. 1, 1941 - Nov. 24, 2010

ELKHART -- Wayne A. Ritchie, 69, of Elkhart, passed away at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, while at his winter home in Pine Island, Fla.

He was born Oct. 1, 1941, in Elkhart to Henry Vasco and Fern (Brown) Ritchie. On Oct. 22, 1966, he married Anita M. (Kaczmarek) Ritchie in Elkhart. She preceded him in death on Nov. 2, 2002.

Survivors include his son, Anthony (Kelly) Ritchie of Elkhart; daughter, Janet (Douglas) Blough of Stafford, Va.; his V.I.P. of five years, Helen Wilson of Elkhart; grandchildren Kathleen and Cassandra Ritchie, Alexander, Mason, Jacob, Anna and Elizabeth Blough; brother Carl Ritchie of Elkhart; and three sisters, Martha (Kenneth) Cavinder of Bremen, Marilyn (Wilber) Leer of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Virginia Aman of Elkhart.

In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by two siblings, Charlotte and Paul Ritchie.

Wayne worked as an electrician in Michiana for more than 40 years for IBEW local 153. He owned The Ritchie Corporation before retiring in 2003.

He was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 308, member of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 88, Moose Lodge 599 and the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 19. He also was a member of the Edwardsburg Conservation Club for more than 30 years, the National Rifle Association and the American Trap Shooting Association.

He was an avid reader and scholar and collected first editions for his home library. He was an accomplished artist who worked with charcoal and oils. His other interest included hunting, fishing, trap shooting, pool and attending NASCAR races.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart. Funeral services will be on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, at 1 p.m. at Billings Funeral Home. Chaplain Mark Brown will officiate.

Interment will follow in Rice Cemetery, Elkhart. American Legion Post 308 will render military graveside honors.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society or the Lerner Theater Project of Elkhart, where he worked extensively on the original restoration.

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