Doris Sheldon Ritter died peacefully on June 1, 2014, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. She was 91.
Doris went through school in West Springfield before attending Massachusetts State College (UMass), where she met her husband of over 56 years, Henry Fiske Ritter. While her husband served in the U. S. Army, Doris worked as an intern at the Chance-Vaught Aircraft Company. She was a math major at NYU and worked in the Structural Design Engineering Department. Doris was involved in structural upgrades to the F4-U Corsair and initial development of the F6-U Pirate, the company’s first jet aircraft.
Doris eagerly embraced a wide range of activities, including sewing, handwork, bridge, volunteerism, and swimming. Her enthusiasm for life was passed on to all who loved her. Family and friends were Doris’s passion and delight. She wintered in North Port, Florida, enjoying her friends and activities in her community, La Casa, and summered in Oak Bluffs, enjoying the company of her good friends and family.
Doris is survived by her four loving children, Sandra Ansara of West Springfield, Ann Rzepka of Leesburg, Fla., Jane Lawlor of Fayetteville, N.Y., and William Ritter of Louisville, Ken., as well as seven grandchildren, David and Jaime Lawlor of Fayetteville, N.Y.; Zack, Hannah, and Molly Ritter of Louisville, Ken, and Steven and Elizabeth Ansara of Oak Bluffs.
There will be a private graveside service for immediate family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent in her name to North Port Meals on Wheels, 4285 Wesley Lane, North Port, FL 34287, ATTN: Sharma Bachan.