Jeffrey Alan Ritter, son of DL Capt. Gary and Judith Ritter

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

Jeffrey Alan Ritter, son of DL Capt. Gary and Judith Ritter

July 24, 1971 - December 13, 2022

 

The saddest of news comes to us from the Ritter family ….Jeffrey is the son of Delta Golden Wings member retired Delta Air Lines pilot Captain Gary Ritter and wife Judith.  Gary retired in 2003, based Atlanta at time of retirement.

Jeffrey’s obituary information is available online at the funeral home’s website :

 https://www.buchanancody.com/obituary/jeffrey-ritter

Also at https://www.dcourier.com/news/2023/feb/18/obituary-loving-memory-jeffrey-alan-ritter/

And at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/myjournalcourier/name/jeffrey-ritter-obituary?id=38522204

Condolences may be sent to the Ritter family at  

2877 W Iron Springs Rd # 306 , Prescott, AZ 86305.

Captain Ritter may also be reached by email at garyritter2877@gmail.com 

Arrangements for Jeffrey have been entrusted to   

Buchanan/ Cody funeral home of Jacksonville, Illinois.

 

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN 

 

JEFFREY'S OBITUARY

Jeffrey Alan Ritter, 51, of Prescott, Arizona, passed away peacefully, yet unexpectedly, and entered the Kingdom of Heaven on December 13, 2022.  Jeff was born in Park Ridge, Illinois on July 24, 1971 to Gary and Judith Ritter.  He and his family moved to Prescott, Arizona in August of 1977 where Jeff attended Miller Valley School, Granite Mountain Junior High School and Prescott High School.  Jeff graduated from Prescott High School in 1990 and then went on to study at Arizona State University, graduating in 1995 with a B.S. in Business Communications and a Minor in Marketing.

 

After graduating from Arizona State, Jeff went to work in Los Angeles as a Publicist/Public Relations agent for Rogers & Cowan and CBS.  While at Rogers & Cowan, he worked with many celebrities on the red carpet during the openings of Steven Spielberg's GameWorks restaurants and the openings of the Planet Hollywood restaurants.  While at CBS, he enjoyed being the Senior Publicist and Director of Publicity on several TV productions, some of which are: The Donny and Marie Show, Cybil, Jeopardy! (10 years), Nancy Grace and Swift Justice with Jackie Glass.  Back when Ken Jennings was the biggest winner of all time on Jeopardy!, Jeff was sure to get him recognized on several talk shows, including David Letterman and Jay Leno.  Jeff was also a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and was so thrilled to hoist the Emmy Award when Jeopardy! was declared the winner.

 

Jeff loved to travel and continued to do so throughout his life.  He loved meeting and embracing people from all around the world.  In High School, he was selected to travel with a group of young students to Russia as a representative for People to People International.  After attending Arizona State, Jeff traveled throughout Europe for four months absorbing all of the different cultures and meeting new friends.  From Russia to Hong Kong to Australia to skiing in the Alps, and most points in-between, Jeff definitely made an amazing impact in our world.

 

All throughout his life, Jeff made friends easily.  He was the type of person who didn’t know a stranger.  His effervescent personality, super witty sense of humor, genuine love and caring for others, always lit up every room he entered!  He had a gift of bringing people together and made you feel like you were the most important and special person around.  Jeff also loved to cook and experiment in the kitchen. He loved the outdoors; enjoyed skiing, fishing, horseback riding and taking care of his many animals when he was growing up.

 

Jeff is survived by his parents, Gary and Judith Ritter of Prescott; his sister Ginger (Bryan) Nolte and niece Ava Nolte of Prescott; and numerous family members nationwide, as well as, his extended family of friends.

 

A private family service and burial was held on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Jacksonville, Illinois.  Arrangements were handled by the Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville, Illinois.  In lieu of flowers, Jeff would want you to make a donation to your local food bank, a cause he was very passionate about.  Jeff will be missed by all, but never forgotten!!  A Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring in Prescott, Arizona.