Fred Ritch

Funeral services for Richard Fredrick Ritch, Jr., 63, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 28, 2007 at St. Luke United Methodist Church. The Rev. Tony Medlin will officiate and Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home is in charge. The family will receive friends Friday, April 27, 2007 from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Mr. Ritch died Monday, April 23, 2007. Born in Miami, FL, he was a son of the late Richard Fredrick Ritch, Sr. and the late Celia Mae Petersen Ritch. He was a Vietnam veteran with two tours of duty, a former U. S. Army Drill Sergeant and a U. S. Army Sniper Instructor. His military awards included: the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Combat Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), Good Conduct Medal two awards, and Overseas Bar. He was the former Director of Public Safety for the city of Hartsville, an FBI National Academy graduate – 144th session, Hartsville’s Employee of the Year in 1979 and a member of the S. C. Police Chief Association. He also received numerous awards and certification with Law Enforcement. He was the former head of the Board of Directors for the 911 Center in Darlington County, a past master of Hartsville Masonic Lodge #173, a member of the Shrine, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Red Fez, and a former Civitan. He received his Associate’s Degree in Public Service and Criminal Justice from Florence-Darlington Technical College. He was an avid fisherman and outdoors man. He was a loving husband, father, family patriarch, jack of all trades and master of our hearts. Surviving are his wife, Mary Voudy Ritch of Hartsville, SC; daughters and son-in-law, Laura and Andy Holland of Hartsville, SC, Vicky Ritch of Hartsville, SC; sisters and brother-in-law, Arline Alton of Florence, SC, Darlene Quick of Florence, SC, Evelyn Sidoran of Melbourne, FL, June and Jerry Judd of Woodland, WA; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bill and Edith Rodgers of Raytown, MO, Bobby Rogers of Georgetown, FL, Paul and Phyllis Peterson of Hartsville, SC; grandchildren, Vincent Ritch of Hartsville, SC, Mark Ritch of Hartsville, SC, Jessica Ivie of Columbia, Tristan Ivie of Interlachen, FL; numerous nephews and nieces.

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Fred Ritch

February 16, 1944 - April 23, 2007