John A. Ritchay Sr, age 89, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, passed away on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Marshfield Medical Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial for John will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 24, 2019 at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Wisconsin Rapids. Rev. Valentine Joseph will officiate the service. The family will greet relatives and friends on Thursday evening at Ritchay Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM and again Friday morning at the church from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Burial will take place following the service at Calvary Cemetery in Wisconsin Rapids. There will be a Knights of Columbus Rosary held at the funeral home at 6:30 PM on Thursday evening.

John was born on June 29, 1929 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to the late Aaron and Ethel (O’Brien) Ritchay. He graduated from Saints Peter and Paul Elementary School, Lincoln High School- Class of 1947 and St. Norbert College in 1951. During high school and college, John excelled in athletics. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951 – 1953 during the Korean War where he served overseas for 14 months. John married Mary A. Weix on October 29, 1955 in Merrill. She died April 28, 2014. Following his military service, John attended the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in Milwaukee. He purchased the Krohn and Berard Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids in 1957 and the Feldner Funeral Home in Nekoosa in 1981. He was a funeral director in the Wisconsin Rapids area for over 50 years.

John was a member of various civic and church organizations in the Wisconsin Rapids area over the years; including the Wisconsin Rapids Knights of Columbus Council #1558, Knights of Columbus 3rd and 4th Degree, Serra Club and Kiwanis Club. John was a charter member of the Lincoln High School Athletic Hall of Fame and was a member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee. He was a charter member of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish where he served as an usher for over 50 years and served on and was past president of the Parish Council. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing bridge with his bridge club.

John is survived by five children John (Mary) Ritchay Jr. of Wisconsin Rapids, Bill (Terri) Ritchay of Green Bay, Mike (Patti) Ritchay of Wisconsin Rapids, Susan (Marc) Moroder of Stevens Point and Ann (Landon) Williams of Madison; grandchildren Amy (Tate) Gisslen, Vicki (Ben) Oleson, Jenna (Ian) Goodwin, Aaron (Jacquelyn) Ritchay, Ryan (Jaclyn) Ritchay, Alex Ritchay, Vinny (Hannah) Ritchay, Jenny (Fiancé TJ Fecteau) Ritchay, Joe (Hallie) Ritchay, Justin Moroder, Maggie Moroder, Maddie Williams and Eli Williams; great-grandchildren Lydia, Garrett, Abigail, Brady, Cecilia, Ella, Hudson, Maxwell, Ava, Evan and Connor. He is further survived by his sister Jane Junk Carpenter, sister-in-law Minnie Ritchay and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Ritchay, parents, brother James Ritchay and in-laws Emil and Kathleen Weix.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish.

The Ritchay Family would like to thank the caring staff of the Renaissance Assisted Living for their loving and compassionate care for the past six years. They would also like to thank the staff of 5 North at Marshfield Medical Center for their assistance.
Above all, John valued faith, family and funeral home.