Rodger was born in New York City on September 11, 1935, the only child of Daniel and Ruth Ritter. He graduated from the Fieldston School of Manhattan and continued on to graduate from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. He later received an MBA in International Business from City College of New York. Rodger spent his high school summers on dude ranches out west where he developed a love of horses and competed in rodeos. In college, he was a member of the rifle team and belonged to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He cultivated life-long friendships with his fraternity brothers and continued visiting them him well into his 80s.
Rodger proudly served his country as a commissioned officer in the US Army and rose to the rank of Artillery Captain before his honorable discharge. During this time, he was an active member of the US Army Competitive Marksmanship Program earning commendations from the Major General.
Rodger started his civilian career working for his father in the family handbag business, Ritter and Ritter, which coined the phrase “It’s in the Bag”. Eager to use his business acumen in a wider arena, he was subsequently employed with Grumman to work on the Lunar Module Program of Project Apollo. He was an active participant on the Apollo 11 team which designed and built the Lunar Module vehicle that landed the first men on the moon in July 1969.
Continuing his stellar career, he worked as international logistics director for ITT Space Communications, building specialized Earth Stations in Europe, South America, and Africa. Upon the dissolution of ITT’s Space Communications division, Rodger created his own successful company, Ralsat International, which continued to maintain and service the satellite stations he built with ITT.
In November 1959, Rodger was set up on a blind date with the future love of his life, Andrea Klaess, and they were married on May 6, 1961. Rodger and Andrea were truly in love during the entirety of their 62-year marriage and inspired many others with their mutual devotion and steadfast loyalty. They had three children who they raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island, NY, until Rodger’s transfer with ITT to Raleigh, NC in 1979.
While in Rockville Centre, Rodger enjoyed many years of coaching his son’s Little League baseball team, and his enthusiasm for professional sports was illustrated by his unfailing support of his beloved NY Giants and NY Yankees. Rodger was athletic as well, and was a ranked tennis player for the USTA. Despite his chronically bad left knee, Rodger would hobble on to the tennis court and demolish players half his age with his trademark one-handed backhand.
As empty-nesters, Rodger and Andrea enjoyed travelling together, and some of their favorite trips included Spain, the Canary Islands, the Caribbean Islands, Bermuda, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Las Vegas, and Charleston, SC. They especially loved the beach, spending many summer vacations relaxing at Emerald Isle.
Rodger enjoyed a post-retirement career working part-time at the AE Finley YMCA, befriending many people of varying ages and backgrounds. He demonstrated the highest respect for everyone he met, conversed with young and old alike, was an excellent listener, a pragmatic advice-giver, and always made time for you. He had very close relationships with his incredibly generous and caring neighbors in Coachman’s Trail, and we are deeply indebted to their loving support of Rodger in his final years.
Rodger loved good books, movies, and restaurants. He was a voracious reader, sometimes devouring a crime novel by his favorite author in a single day. Rodger had a special fondness for the many dogs throughout his life, and cared for his cherished collie Shadow until the very end. His wicked sense of humor was unparalleled and his gift for storytelling unrivaled. He was the embodiment of humility, modesty, integrity, and grace. He never judged, criticized, or complained a single day of his life. He was the dictionary definition of good, decent, upstanding.
Rodger is survived by his wife, Andrea, his three children, Christine, Andrew, and Jennifer, and his six grandchildren.
The family wishes to acknowledge the deeply compassionate care administered by the hospice nurses at Rex Hospital. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
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