John Duncan Ritchie

1942 - 2023

BORN

1942

DIED

2023

John Ritchie Obituary

John Duncan Ritchie
Dec. 23, 1942 - June 14, 2023
"Roundhouse," was one of many of the greetings one would get on John's cell or business phone. The caller knew immediately that John Ritchie was a "train guy." John came from a railroad family. He was born in Minot, N.D., Dec. 23, 1942 to Luene and Duncan "Dick" Ritchie, who was chief mechanical officer for the Great Northern Railroad. Both parents and many relatives were connected to the railroad industry. The family moved to Vancouver, Wash., in 1957, where Dick was transferred to the BSNF.
John attended McLoughlin Jr. High and Hudson's Bay High School, graduating in 1960. He then went to Yankton College in Yankton, S.D., graduating in 1965. He made many local and college friends, maintaining relationships to this day. Later, he was elected to the College Board and sponsored nine students with scholarships and funds. He was very proud of his liberal arts education.
He went into the investment business, being an institutional salesman. He worked for Birr Wilson, Paine Webber, Prudential securities, and Morgan Stanley, where he was continually in their chairman's council. He was previously married to Bonnie Broullard and Mavis Lindeman. In 1982, he connected with an old high school friend; Marilyn "Willy" Grimm. They married to Bagpipes in 1984. John discovered wine in the 1980's with a good friend and together they "educated" themselves with tastings, books and trips that afforded them many vintner friends in Burgundy, Alsace, Oregon and Washington.
His many trips around the United States on various corporate train cars and steam engines, filled up his dance card with another group of passionate men in the railroad industry. He was his the happiest being around trains. He combined his love of wine and railroad for many successful fundraisers, often on corporate cars that his corporate railroad friends allowed him to use. He loved to entertain and excelled as a "business matchmaker." With his wife and chef friends, they had many events at their home in Vancouver where John shared his extensive wine cellar. His love of people included a group of assorted Alaskan business men and chefs that tasted the wine of the world. They met every summer in Anchorage or a wine-related locale where "the boys" did justice to wine and food!
John's father, was sent to Vladivostok, Russia in the early 1900"s (John was born when his dad was 52), to work with the Russian railroad on American trains. As a consequence of this, John took some Russian language classes at Yankton. He spoke enough that he often fooled new immigrant families that had just fled to the U.S. from the Ukraine, many of whom ended up working for, and being like family to John and Willy. John opened his own business, Great Northern Asset Management in 2012 until his retirement in 2022. He felt this was the most satisfying segment of his career, relishing being a wealth advisor.
Along the work treadmill, John joined many clubs, corporate and community boards including: Rainier Club, Arlington Club, Barriger National Railroad Library, Washington Athletic Club, Skyline Trail Riders, Confrerie St. Etienne, Alsace, Metropolitan Family Services Wine Auction, Museum of Glass, Oregon Symphony Steam Tour, Yankton College, Pacific University, Affiliate Artist, Inc., SW Washington Hospital Services, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Oregon and Portland Symphony.
The family wishes to thank the Providence and Legacy Doctors and their staff who treated John with such kindness and care. Besides leaving his wife "Willy" of 39 years; nieces, nephews, Dena Tanguay of Glacier View, Alaska, (one of his adopted recruits); special friends, Engred Chai, Portland, Ore., Amy Campbell, Ogden, Utah (previous assistant at GNAM and current assistant in retirement); helpers, Inessa Yadlovsky and Karen De La Torre, both of Vancouver, Wash.; and his many, many restaurant friends. He was preceded in death by a sister, "Joie" Thompson.
A good friend said "John was a big man in size, in exuberance, hospitality, generosity, and in joke-telling (sometimes to our groans)." Memorials may be made to the Erath Family Foundation at 345 N.E. 102nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220.
The storyteller has taken the last train of the night.
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Published by The Oregonian from Jun. 21 to Jun. 25, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for John Ritchie

Sponsored by The Family.

4 Entries

Greg Seifert

June 26, 2023

I was one of the 9 students he sponsored to Yankton College back in the 1970's, and he did not stop there. Through his many contacts he introduced me to Standard Insurance Co. which was the beginning of a 45 year career in the insurance business. Although I did not see him often over the years, we did stay in touch. When I ran for office recently he once again was there for me, introducing me to anyone he thought could help with my campaign. He was always supportive and a friend for life.

Richard Hartman

June 25, 2023

John and my brother Jim Hartman were best friends in high school at Hudson's Bay.
John was like a brother to me. He'd come by and pick me up in his 47 Chevy fastback And I would hold a stopwatch while he ran quarter miles out in Mill plain.
My family loved him, and he'd just walk in and make himself at home, check out what was in the fridge. He was part of the family. He used to hang out with some members of the Slowpokes car club, And I suspect his wife was Mike Grimm's sister, as Mike was a member of the Slowpokes.
Our family moved to Tacoma in 1960, and John would cruise up and make himself at home in our new place. One time he brought his dad's Buick, the one Dominic Salvoto mentioned, and he and I took it to the drags at Seattle raceways. He had me go to the pharmacy and get some methanol, would she added to a nearly empty gas tank at the drags. His dad's poor Buick, hubcaps off reduce the tire pressure in the rear tires, no air cleaner, smoking those tires and he did pretty well in his stock class (with methanol )
When my dad was sick with cancer in his early '50s, John came over and fixed my dad's boat engine and found water and debris in the fuel system and added a row of triple fuel filters that we could quickly change until the fuel was clean again. John was a good guy like that.
He showed me how to tear down a lawn mower engine and rebuild it.
John was always gracious, kind and mostly funny.
The last time I had contact with John was right after I retired, he helped me with my financial planning, and sent me a folder with the whole plan laid out for free.
Dominic sent this obituary to me, and though it truly saddens me I'm so grateful that I found out now as opposed to years from now, as is the usual case.
John, you will be missed And remembered fondly.
Rick Hartman

Dominic Salvato

June 24, 2023

I remember John laying a patch of rubber in his Dad's Buick for over a mile. He was a great fun-loving guy that us kids in the neighborhood looked up too.

Nick Fry

June 21, 2023

John was one of the first members of the board to welcome me to the first board meeting for the Barriger Library. He sized up how tense I was and immediately put me at ease. He was generous with his time and resources for the library and I enjoyed his enthusiasm and friendship. His smile was infectious and he was an astute railroad historian and enthusiast. I'm going to miss seeing him and talking with him on the phone. He truly was "good people."

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