Mary (Molly) J. Ritch of Huntsville, Alabama passed away peacefully on January 18, 2021 at her home at the age of 95.
Molly was born in Tignall, Georgia on October 10, 1925. After graduation from high school she attended the University of Georgia before moving to Atlanta where she graduated from the St. Joseph’s School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse. While in Atlanta, she met her future husband E. Ray Ritch, a young engineering student at Georgia Tech. Molly and Ray were married 63 years before his death in 2002.
After their marriage in Atlanta, they moved to Selma, Montgomery and Columbia, TN before Ray joined ABMA at Redstone Arsenal in the early 1950’s and later NASA where he retired. Molly went to work for Fifth Avenue Hospital (now part of Huntsville Hospital) as an RN in the mid-1950’s and retired from Huntsville Hospital in 1986. Upon retirement, Huntsville Hospital created the Molly Ritch Award “to perpetuate her life’s work.” The award was given annually for 28 years to a member of the nursing service who best exhibited during a given year “those qualities of dedication, caring, competence and human compassion.”
She was an active member of First Baptist Church for more than 75 years and served on the board of the Salvation Army in Huntsville.
Upon retirement, she became the general manager of the private part of Maple Hill Cemetery and her husband Ray became the sales manager. Molly met hundreds of families at their time of need and applied her usual dedication, compassionate care and competence in assisting them. For years, customers would stop by the Maple Hill office to keep her informed of what was going on their lives. Her ability to compassionately and professionally assist people in the most difficult times of their lives was a hallmark of her life.
Molly is survived by her three children, Charles Ray Ritch (Hartselle), Joe H. Ritch (Lana) (Huntsville) and Cheri R. Mercado (Will) of Chicago, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The family will always appreciate the care that she received from the caretakers at Home Instead (many of whom became very close friends) and the nurses at Comfort Care Home Health.
A private service will be held Friday at Maple Hill Cemetery where she will rejoin her husband in the cemetery that Molly and Ray loved so much. Her grandson, Charles R. Ritch, II will preside. In lieu of flowers please donate to those charities that support those families in need in our community and elsewhere.
