Obituary for John Jay Ritsema
John Jay Ritsema, 71, died at Tranquility Hospice in Austell, GA on Saturday, April 25, 2015, from Pancreatic Cancer.
John was born on March 3, 1944 to John and Freda (Kuiper) Ritsema in Grand Rapids, MI, where he lived until 1959 with his siblings, Beth, Marve, and Luanne. He then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where he met his high school sweetheart and beloved wife, Patricia Ruth Dokter, originally from Holland, MI.
John and Patricia married on July 2, 1966 and moved near New York City in 1968, where John was employed as an engineer with American Electric Power. They moved to Miami, FL in 1970 where they raised their two children, Susan and John David. John worked for Miami-Dade County as Chief of the Construction Division of the Public Works Department, where he worked for 30 years until retiring in 2004. In retirement, John and Pat lived in the Atlanta area where they were active at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
He graduated from Stranahan High School (1962), earned a Bachelor's degree from Calvin College and the University of Michigan (Civil Engineering, 1968), and earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University (1978). He continued his love for learning through reading, podcasts, auditing college courses and watching DVD lecture series. His desire to understand God's world and the science of human behavior compelled him to gain an understanding of many diverse subjects. John avidly pursued many hobbies and interests such as genealogy (including DNA), financial investing, economics, history, religion, politics, contract bridge, Sudoku, classical music, choral music, music theory, travel and tennis. John valued his family and coordinated many family reunions through the years.
John was preceded in death by his oldest sister Beth Elaine Noble.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia Ruth (Dokter) Ritsema; his children: Susan Lynn, (George A. Garrison) and John David, (Lindsey N. Vander Woude); his grandchildren: Christina Lynn Garrison, Stephen John Garrison, John Parker Ritsema, and Claire Mae Ritsema; his siblings: Marvin J. Ritsema and Luanne Ritsema, as well as many nephews and nieces.
Family links by Thomas Bostelaar (#48602444).
John Jay Ritsema, 71, died at Tranquility Hospice in Austell, GA on Saturday, April 25, 2015, from Pancreatic Cancer.
John was born on March 3, 1944 to John and Freda (Kuiper) Ritsema in Grand Rapids, MI, where he lived until 1959 with his siblings, Beth, Marve, and Luanne. He then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where he met his high school sweetheart and beloved wife, Patricia Ruth Dokter, originally from Holland, MI.
John and Patricia married on July 2, 1966 and moved near New York City in 1968, where John was employed as an engineer with American Electric Power. They moved to Miami, FL in 1970 where they raised their two children, Susan and John David. John worked for Miami-Dade County as Chief of the Construction Division of the Public Works Department, where he worked for 30 years until retiring in 2004. In retirement, John and Pat lived in the Atlanta area where they were active at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
He graduated from Stranahan High School (1962), earned a Bachelor's degree from Calvin College and the University of Michigan (Civil Engineering, 1968), and earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University (1978). He continued his love for learning through reading, podcasts, auditing college courses and watching DVD lecture series. His desire to understand God's world and the science of human behavior compelled him to gain an understanding of many diverse subjects. John avidly pursued many hobbies and interests such as genealogy (including DNA), financial investing, economics, history, religion, politics, contract bridge, Sudoku, classical music, choral music, music theory, travel and tennis. John valued his family and coordinated many family reunions through the years.
John was preceded in death by his oldest sister Beth Elaine Noble.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia Ruth (Dokter) Ritsema; his children: Susan Lynn, (George A. Garrison) and John David, (Lindsey N. Vander Woude); his grandchildren: Christina Lynn Garrison, Stephen John Garrison, John Parker Ritsema, and Claire Mae Ritsema; his siblings: Marvin J. Ritsema and Luanne Ritsema, as well as many nephews and nieces.
Family links by Thomas Bostelaar (#48602444).
Obituary for John Jay Ritsema
John Jay Ritsema, 71, died at Tranquility Hospice in Austell, GA on Saturday, April 25, 2015, from Pancreatic Cancer.
John was born on March 3, 1944 to John and Freda (Kuiper) Ritsema in Grand Rapids, MI, where he lived until 1959 with his siblings, Beth, Marve, and Luanne. He then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where he met his high school sweetheart and beloved wife, Patricia Ruth Dokter, originally from Holland, MI.
John and Patricia married on July 2, 1966 and moved near New York City in 1968, where John was employed as an engineer with American Electric Power. They moved to Miami, FL in 1970 where they raised their two children, Susan and John David. John worked for Miami-Dade County as Chief of the Construction Division of the Public Works Department, where he worked for 30 years until retiring in 2004. In retirement, John and Pat lived in the Atlanta area where they were active at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
He graduated from Stranahan High School (1962), earned a Bachelor's degree from Calvin College and the University of Michigan (Civil Engineering, 1968), and earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University (1978). He continued his love for learning through reading, podcasts, auditing college courses and watching DVD lecture series. His desire to understand God's world and the science of human behavior compelled him to gain an understanding of many diverse subjects. John avidly pursued many hobbies and interests such as genealogy (including DNA), financial investing, economics, history, religion, politics, contract bridge, Sudoku, classical music, choral music, music theory, travel and tennis. John valued his family and coordinated many family reunions through the years.
John was preceded in death by his oldest sister Beth Elaine Noble.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia Ruth (Dokter) Ritsema; his children: Susan Lynn, (George A. Garrison) and John David, (Lindsey N. Vander Woude); his grandchildren: Christina Lynn Garrison, Stephen John Garrison, John Parker Ritsema, and Claire Mae Ritsema; his siblings: Marvin J. Ritsema and Luanne Ritsema, as well as many nephews and nieces.
Family links by Thomas Bostelaar (#48602444).
John Jay Ritsema, 71, died at Tranquility Hospice in Austell, GA on Saturday, April 25, 2015, from Pancreatic Cancer.
John was born on March 3, 1944 to John and Freda (Kuiper) Ritsema in Grand Rapids, MI, where he lived until 1959 with his siblings, Beth, Marve, and Luanne. He then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where he met his high school sweetheart and beloved wife, Patricia Ruth Dokter, originally from Holland, MI.
John and Patricia married on July 2, 1966 and moved near New York City in 1968, where John was employed as an engineer with American Electric Power. They moved to Miami, FL in 1970 where they raised their two children, Susan and John David. John worked for Miami-Dade County as Chief of the Construction Division of the Public Works Department, where he worked for 30 years until retiring in 2004. In retirement, John and Pat lived in the Atlanta area where they were active at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
He graduated from Stranahan High School (1962), earned a Bachelor's degree from Calvin College and the University of Michigan (Civil Engineering, 1968), and earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University (1978). He continued his love for learning through reading, podcasts, auditing college courses and watching DVD lecture series. His desire to understand God's world and the science of human behavior compelled him to gain an understanding of many diverse subjects. John avidly pursued many hobbies and interests such as genealogy (including DNA), financial investing, economics, history, religion, politics, contract bridge, Sudoku, classical music, choral music, music theory, travel and tennis. John valued his family and coordinated many family reunions through the years.
John was preceded in death by his oldest sister Beth Elaine Noble.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia Ruth (Dokter) Ritsema; his children: Susan Lynn, (George A. Garrison) and John David, (Lindsey N. Vander Woude); his grandchildren: Christina Lynn Garrison, Stephen John Garrison, John Parker Ritsema, and Claire Mae Ritsema; his siblings: Marvin J. Ritsema and Luanne Ritsema, as well as many nephews and nieces.
Family links by Thomas Bostelaar (#48602444).
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