RITSHER, John Alan Of Norwell, died peacefully in his sleep on December 10 at age 88, with his family at his side.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon on Sept 26, 1930, he moved to the States in 1941 in a circuitous adventure through Palestine, Egypt, Australia and Honolulu (in time for Pearl Harbor), sparking life-long interest in the Middle East.

A scholar and poet, John delivered the commencement address at Bowdoin College after leading the desegregation of his fraternity in 1951. During the Korean War, his flat feet and good fortune dictated he serve as a medic in Paris. Upon discharge, he earned a law degree at the Univ. of Chicago. As a senior partner at Ropes & Gray, he represented nuclear power plants across New England.

In 1964, he married Cynthia Wilder and had two sons, David and Ken. John moved his family to Lincoln to a home he designed with noted architect Henry Hoover. On the Lincoln Board of Selectman in the 1980s, he was a quiet force of reason and compromise, skilfully finding middle ground during contentious town debates.

John's lifetime labor of love was a house on Lake Winnipesaukee that he designed and built (twice!) while in college. The home on Ritsher Road was a gathering place for generations of family and friends. John savored time at "the lake" both for quiet mornings of mist and loon song and its unlimited excuses to pound nails and rip pine boards on his trusty table saw.

In 1989, John married Diane Littlefield and they settled in Norwell. He and Diane loved to travel together and to spend time with family, friends, and their grandchildren. An avid tennis player, he played frequently into his last decade. In retirement, he enjoyed making copious amounts of sawdust and wood shavings on his lathe, an endeavor that also resulted in the creation of beautiful hand turned bowls. John also served on the Board of South Shore Habitat for Humanity and volunteered to read the newspaper for the blind.

John is survived by wife Diane, sons David and Ken, stepchildren Damon Berry and Meg Berry, their spouses, and six grandchildren: Sam, Lilah, Foster, Theo, Porter, and Berkely. He was predeceased by sisters Ann Carter, Marjo Bunting, and Helen Augusta.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m., Dec.31 at First Parish Church, 24 River Street, Norwell. Memorial donations may be made to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (lrct.org) or South Shore Habitat for Humanity (sshabitat.org). For an online guestbook, please visit www.mcnamara-sparrell.com Norwell-Cohasset

781-659-2200

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Published by Boston Globe from Dec. 15 to Dec. 16, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for JOHN RITSHER

8 Entries

Ronald L Nath

September 20, 2025

The memory of John continues! Every time I go to the lake house with someone, I repeat the story of how wonderful and generous John was and how dedicated he was to maintaining the natural environment of the land. What a great memorial to him.
Ron Nath

Ronald Nath

December 9, 2024

I continue to remember John as a cheerful, warm, caring person who always tried to do "the right thing." Unusual in these times. His legacy will continue.

Ronald and Kathy Nath

December 9, 2021

We still remember John's smile and positive attitude. Thanks to John's generosity, our entire family still enjoy the "lake house" in all seasons, and fondly remember John throughout.

December 19, 2018

John will be missed by all who were fortunate to meet him... so sorry for your loss Diane, Ken, and David.....and all the family... a great man.
Marcia Marcia Marcia

Peter Albrecht

December 18, 2018

John and I shared office space for a while at Ropes & Gray, and we often worked in the same practice area. But more than being a trusted colleague, he was a good friend, an enjoyable companion. And he taught me some Arabic: shukran, John, for your friendship.

Dan Burke

December 18, 2018

I was privileged to work as an associate attorney under John at Ropes & Gray many years ago. He was an exceedingly kind man, and a wonderful mentor. I remember him with great fondness.

Ronald and Kathy Nath

December 16, 2018

Kathy and I first met John Ritsher when we were given the unique privilege of "inheriting" the wonderful "lake house." I choose the word inheriting because, even though we bought it for a fair price, we fell in love with it just as John did. We promised to honor the location and site, and not to tear down the house and build a monstrous mansion. We also promised not to cut down all the trees. When he heard this from us, he added the beach and the land all the way to the main access road. As a result, thanks to the honor John showed the local land, we "inherited" a peaceful home and land that still has his calmness and respect that he implanted into the heart of the house. We were honored when the Ritsher family had their reunion at the house a few years ago, and enjoyed the few visits that John managed to make thereafter. We know that his family greatly respected him, and cared well for him especially during his last years. We feel that our lives are forever linked with his and yours.

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