Josephine Anne Ritchie

Middletown, RI ? Josephine A. Ritchie, 59, of 34 Berkeley Court, died Sunday, July 9th at her home surrounded by family and friends. Born in Newport, RI she was the daughter of the late George W. Ritchie and Mary Sullivan Ritchie.She is survived by six brothers, George W. Ritchie III of Providence and Newport, Jerry Ritchie of New London, CT, Peter, Robert, and James Ritchie, all of Newport, and Andrew Ritchie of Middletown; two sisters, Mary Hafey of Richmond, RI and Christine Ritchie of Medford, MA. She is also survived by an aunt, Doris Sullivan of Saugus, MA, four nieces, Rachel Ventura, Elizabeth Ritchie, Katherine Ritchie, and Kara Ritchie-Plante, and a nephew Nathan Ritchie. Her presence will be greatly missed by her many caring friends and her much loved german shepherd, Shadow. After graduating high school from Saint Catherine?s Academy in Newport, Jo attended Stonehill College in North Easton, MA. Upon graduation, she started her career with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Employment and Training, which continued for over 34 years. She started as an Employment Counselor in the local employment offices in Boston, Cambridge and East Boston. She then worked as an Employer Service Representative for five years before moving into management positions managing the Chelsea and Cambridge employment offices, and then the Chelsea unemployment office. Later in her career, Jo worked in the Southeast MA Region as the Career Center Director at the Attleboro and Fall River Career Centers. Prior to her retirement in 2003, she was the Career Center Director for the New Bedford Career Center. She was dedicated to assisting her staff in reaching their career goals and taught many after-work and evening classes to groups of co-workers, preparing them for advancement examinations. She was a mentor, role model, and friend, as well as a boss. Jo was very appreciative of her faithful, generous and loving friends who were her caregivers during her almost two-year struggle with ovarian cancer. The medical team of the Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital provided loving and caring support, as well as medical expertise. Jo felt she was getting the best care in the world.A life long reader, Jo was a member of the Redwood Library and the Ladies Literary Society Book Club. Her varied interests included gardening, genealogy, home improvement projects, visiting art museums, walking at Sachuest Point and the Norman Bird Sanctuary. Jo was a strong, intelligent, courageous and loving woman who will be greatly missed by all.Funeral services will be held Friday at 10am from Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am at St. Columba?s Chapel, 55 Vaucluse Avenue, Middletown. Calling hours are Thursday from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm. Burial will be at Island Cemetery in Newport. Memorial contributions to Gynocologic Oncology Cancer Research Fund, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey Center, c/o Dr. Neil Horowitz, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114-2698 would be appreciated.