Pat/Patty was born into the O'Connor clan in St. Paul, MN to Catherine O'Connor Bohdan and Chester "Jeff" Bohdan February 7", 1939. She graduated with honors and was Snow Days Queen from Washington High School in St. Paul, MN, then was in the graduating class of 1960 at The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
She volunteered for the Peace Corp and interned at UCLA in 1963. Pat was stationed in Dessie, Ethiopia, where she met and married Wayne E. Ritzman. The couple returned to begin a family in St. Paul, spent a year raising their two young girls on Long Island, NY, returning to Richfield, MN where she raised the two girls and a boy, and Barnaby our treasured Great Dane.
Pat served as 1" Lt. Ritzman for the United States Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX during the first Gulf War. With her spawn out of the house by the early 1990's, Patty moved back to Seattle, where she enjoyed reuniting with her nursing school colleagues and made countless new pals along the way. She was thrilled to be reunited with her father's sisters and her cousins who had all been living on the West Coast. A lifelong caregiver, her nursing career spanned over 50 years in both Minnesota and Washington State. She retired in Seattle, WA and was an active volunteer at the West Seattle Senior Center.
Gramma Patty enjoyed watching the wonderful Giomi family blossom (cousins) and was an amazing teacher and friend to her granddaughter Francine for the past 14+ years. She is also survived by her children Ella Ritzman, Katy Ritzman, and Jay Ritzman. In her final wishes, she requested that no formal services will be held.
A celebration of life with be held in both Minneapolis and Seattle.
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