James R. Ritchie

James Ralph Ritchie passed away peacefully on the evening of April 5th at the age of 88. He was born on December 17th, 1925 to Gilbert Ritchie and Ruby Heaton Ritchie. He was raised in Birmingham and graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1942.

He attended Auburn University briefly before enlisting in the Navy in 1943. He served as a radioman at the US Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida during WWII and was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Seaman First Class. After his discharge he resumed his education, graduating in 1951 with a Masters Degree in Education from Birmingham Southern College.

On June 6th, 1951 he married Jean Shannon. The two of them lived together in Birmingham Alabama where they raised four children. Ralph and Jean remained married for 40-years until her death in 1991 at the age of 64. He never remarried.

Ralph was always active in the church. He grew up attending Woodlawn Methodist Church. As adults, he and Jean attended Highlands Methodist Church and later Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Later in life he was active at Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church until waning health forced him to move from his house in Homewood to the Village at Cook Springs.

James Ralph Ritchie is survived by his four children, Shannon Ritchie, Rosalyn Ritchie Meadows, Gilbert Ritchie and Glenn Ritchie as well as four grand-children and five great-grand-children.

Visitation will be at Elmwood Chapel at 800 Dennison Ave. SW on Tuesday, April 8th from 5:00PM – 7:00PM. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, April 9th at 2:00PM at Elmwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 513 Columbiana Road, Birmingham, AL 35209.