James Ritchie Jr., 86

SEAFORD - James Ritchie Jr., of Seaford, went on peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, May 29, 2008, with his loving wife and dedicated son at his side. He was 86.

He was born in Pores Knob, N.C., on May 19, 1922, to the late James and Leora Adams Ritchie.

Mr. Ritchie attended North Carolina State, where he taught swimming and swam for the swim team.

He served during World War II in the U.S. Navy as a pharmacists mate 3rd Class in the Asiatic Pacific area.

Mr. Ritchie returned from service to marry his sweetheart and finish schooling in agriculture and poultry engineering.

He started as a grader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and then as a designer in the poultry industry with the state of North Carolina.

Mr. Ritchie moved to Delaware in 1960 to work for Everett T. Conaway at Barker Poultry Equipment Co. and traveled the Eastern Shore, East Coast and other parts of the country installing equipment in and doing design work in poultry processing plants.

He loved and was dedicated to his work, and loved the people he worked with.

Mr. Ritchie was privileged to work with such companies as Allen Family Foods, Burris Foods, ConAgra, Mountaire, Perdue Farms and Townsends.

Mr. Ritchie shared the story of how Arthur W. Perdue came to his father, James Ritchie's, farm in North Carolina and bought eggs from him, as well as Frank Perdue coming to Mr. Ritchie's home in Seaford to learn all Mr. Ritchie had in his head about the chicken industry.

He established his own firm, Ritchie Engineering, in 1966, where his son, Peter, worked with him.

Mr. Ritchie also designed some local church structures and worked with families in the design of their homes.

He loved to fish, garden and watch birds, and enjoy the beauty of God's creation that surrounded him.

He enjoyed music and loved to play and worship the Lord on his piano, organ and accordians, and to share his music with others.

His love of Jesus Christ shone through his patient, sweet, loving, kind, meek, gentle and generous spirit.

Having experienced the healing hand of God many times on his walk with the Lord, he and his loving wife enjoyed visiting people in the hospital, praying for their needs, and seeing the compassionate hand of God do many mighty works.

Mr. Ritchie and his wife always wrote down the names of patients, their families and friends, doctors, nurses, technicians, and anyone desiring prayer in a book to continue praying for them.

During the last few years of several hospital stays himself, his sweet spirit shone forth to those who treated him, with his wife still adding more names to their prayer book.

His testimony of God's love and power in his life continued to bless those around him. Not having a large family, the doctors, nurses and friends, and brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ are his family for all eternity.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant sister; and his brother, Robert M. Ritchie.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Betty Jean Ritchie of Seaford; a son, Peter Thomas Ritchie of Seaford; a daughter, Linda Anne Hartman and her husband Albert of Wilmington, N.C.; a grandson, Maxwell Hartman of Frederiksberg, Denmark; a granddaughter, Nichole Hartman of Charlotte, N.C.; a sister, Janet Ritchie of Wilkesboro, N.C.; a brother-in-law, George Fletcher of Little Rock, Ark.; and cousins, friends and many brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Services will be private.

Friends are welcome to visit with the family at their residence.

Interment will be in Delaware Veterans Cemetery, Millsboro.

Instead of flowers, the family would appreciate love gifts in his honor to help defray the costs of medical and hospital expenses, made to James Ritchie Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o Wilmington Trust, 509 W. Stein Highway, Seaford, DE 19973.

Arrangements by Watson-Yates Funeral Home, Seaford.