Joseph Jay Ritchie

Joseph Jay Ritchie, 75, of West Chicago, IL, passed away on February 22, 2022.

Joe was born in Corvallis, Oregon on January 1, 1947 to Dwight and Winifred Ritchie. He graduated from Wheaton College where he studied philosophy. Joe had ten children and was married to his wife, Sharon Ritchie (née Frost) for over fifty years.

Joe's faith was the central driving force of his life. He saw in Jesus a real man, with incredible strength, who embodied grace, and was often known to tear up when describing Jesus' love. Joe's wildly incredible life demonstrated that love to others.

At ten years old, Joe and his family moved to Afghanistan, where he developed a love for the country. In college, Joe cut down trees and drove a city bus. After a brief stint as a computer programmer, he was a guard for Cook County Jail, and later a county patrolman. Soon after, he mastered the art of options and commodities trading (starting with a desk made from an old door over two saw-horses), and became one of the most successful traders in the Chicago Board of Trade. In 1977 he founded Chicago Research and Trading, and in 1993, Fox River Partners.

Global business ventures included projects in Japan and the first American-Soviet joint venture. His belief that exceptional human capital was the rarest resource guided both his commercial and non-profit interests. He intentionally sought people of notable character and prodigious capacity. At the heart of each of Joe's adventures was an exceptional leader who compelled Joe to participate, and in characteristic humility, Joe would feel lucky to be on their team and help them succeed.

In 1989, Ritchie committed a large part of his fortune to buying Eastern Airlines, which was about to go into liquidation. Joe befriended the union leader, and after getting to know Joe, both the pilots' union and the mechanics agreed to take 50% pay cuts if Joe would be their new boss. Hundreds wrote letters to him telling their stories. They recognised how much Joe would have their interests at heart. Unfortunately for the employees, a bankruptcy judge denied Joe's petition and dissolved the airline.

In another union battle, Ritchie came alongside the union boss and helped finance a group of steelworkers in Sharpsville, PA, after the owners of the steel mill wanted to close it and tear it down. The workers occupied the mill for 42 days before the owners finally agreed to sell to them. Again, the union boss became a good friend.

During the sanctions in Iraq, Joe visited the country and saw firsthand children dying in hospitals without basic medicines. He committed himself to giving Iraq's three faith patriarchs a voice in the U.S. in order to influence the lifting of the sanctions.

Prior to 9/11, Joe and his younger brother, James, worked to free the Afghan people from Taliban rule. Alongside Afghan military leader, Abdul Haq, and President Reagan's Security Advisor, Robert McFarlane, the Ritchie brothers proposed a national transition to a more democratic future and had a U.S. Congressional resolution supporting the effort. Their long-term involvement in Afghanistan included recently facilitating the evacuation of over 180 female students to Rwanda, in cooperation with President Kagame and his friends.

In 2003, Joe partnered with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, and was invited to launch the Rwandan Development Board as well as serve as the newly-formed Presidential Advisory Council co-chair. By facilitating private sector investment, Joe helped transform the economy of Rwanda, and was granted Rwandan citizenship as well as the country's highest honor: "National Order of Outstanding Friendship" (Igihango).

Years later, Joe would "run a similar play," as he often said, in Malawi, where he worked with President Joyce Banda to build private sector investment, develop the economy and invest in the growth of Malawi's future leaders. He continued working with current President Chakwera's movement for truth and peace following a time of great political unrest.

Joe's interest in transforming a country to better meet the needs of the people, led him to current partnerships with exceptional leaders in Kenya, D.R. Congo, and Guatemala, among others.

Joe was also passionate about building strong families and invested in worldwide initiatives (World Without Orphans, Orphan Myth and Hopeland) to support at-risk families, orphans, and vulnerable children. In 2016, he co-launched America's Kids Belong to help states get churches, government and business (the "three legged stool") working together, using proven practices, to find adoptive homes for available foster children, increase the number of foster families in a state, and engage churches and businesses to wrap around those families. AKB's roots began in Colorado and Virginia and are now active in Tennessee, South Dakota, Utah, Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana and Kansas.

Joe was an avid pilot. He served as Mission Control Director for aviator, Steve Fossett's, circumnavigation of the globe, and held two transcontinental speed records of his own in his Piaggio P.180 Avanti.

He was an out-of-the-box thinker with a penchant for developing simple ("dumb-smart") solutions to massive problems. Joe loved connecting diverse leaders and individuals to expand their reach. He looked for proven, world-changing solutions that he could elevate alongside the "heroes" who created them.

With his iconic mustache and infectious grin, Joe loved fresh raspberries, espresso, a nice cigar, a roaring fireplace, and birds feeding outside his kitchen window, but family was his greatest love.

Joe was preceded in death by his father, Dwight, mother, Winifred, brother, Daniel, and beloved daughter, Hopie.

Joe is survived by his wife, Sharon; his children, Tracy (Dave) Dettman, Thane (Juleen) Ritchie, Allegra "Jennie" (David) From, Mary "Molly" Ritchie, Maggie Ritchie, Noah "Neo" (Brigit) Ritchie, Eve "Annemarie" (John) Ahrens, Thomas (Bridget) Ritchie, Anthony (Kelsey) Ritchie; twin sister, Joanna (Gary) Ginter; brothers, Mark (Nancy) Ritchie and James (Kimberly) Ritchie; 30 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren; and many, many beloved nieces & nephews, cousins, and in-laws.

Friends, please join the family in a memorial service celebrating Joe's life later this Spring. Details will be forthcoming on Joe's Caring Bridge site.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 3, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home (304 N. Main Street, Wheaton, IL). On Friday, March 4 at 12 noon, a funeral mass will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church (140 N. Oakwood Avenue, West Chicago, IL) with Father Peter Armenio officiating. Burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation toward two organizations that Joe was instrumental in building, and that were very dear to him: America's Kids Belong and Chicago Westside Sports.

Family and friends may sign a guestbook at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.