Mary Darrah Ritchie

PROVIDENCE, - Mary Darrah Sullivan Ritchie, 89, of 34 Berkeley Court, Middletown, died Sunday, May 11, 2003 at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence.She was the wife of the late George W. ?Bud? Ritchie Jr. Born in Newport, RI on August 16, 1913, she was the daughter of the late Jeremiah F. and Florence M. Curry Sullivan. Mrs. Ritchie was a 1931 graduate of Reading High School in Reading, MA and a 1935 R.N. graduate of the Newport Hospital School of Nursing. Prior to her marriage she worked as a registered nurse at Newport Hospital and Somerville Hospital. She also worked as a staff nurse at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, MA. She was a parishioner of St. Mary?s Catholic Church, a member of Newport Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, a past member of Sheffield School PTA, De La Salle Academy Mother?s Club and the Redwood Library. Mrs. Ritchie was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother, an avid reader, staunch Republican and longtime resident of Newport, RI before moving to Middletown, RI in 1993. She is survived by nine children, George W. and AnnMarie Ritchie III of Providence, RI, Jerry Ritchie and Mary Packer of New London, CT, Peter R. and JoAnne Ritchie of Newport, RI, Mary E. and Robert Hafey of Richmond, RI, Josephine A. Ritchie of Middletown, RI, Robert E. Ritchie of Newport, RI, Christine F. Ritchie of Somerville, MA, James R. Ritchie of Portsmouth, RI, and Andrew A. Ritchie of Middletown, RI. She is also survived by her sister, Florence F. Sullivan of Reading, MA, nine grandchildren Kara Ritchie of Beverly, MA, Nathan Ritchie of Jamestown, RI, Rachel Ventura of Newport, RI, Elizabeth Ritchie of Newport, RI, Katherine Ritchie of Newport, RI, Kalene Phinney of Mount Laurel, NJ, Shealyn Gamba of Coventry, RI, Dina DeAngelis of Providence, RI, and Dacia Connolly of Belmar, NJ, five great grandchildren Mitchell and Mikayla Ventura of Newport, RI, Aidan and Maeve Phinney of Mount Laurel, NJ and Madison Gamba of Coventry, RI and several nieces, a nephew and cousins.She was the sister of the late Robert B. Sullivan.Her funeral will be held on Friday, May 16, 2003, at 8:00am from the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00am in St. Mary?s Catholic Church, Spring Street, Newport.Burial will be in Island Cemetery, Newport.In lieu of flowers donations in her memory may be sent to the Middletown Rescue Wagon Association, 238 Wyatt Road, Middletown, RI, 02842, the Visiting Nurses Health Services, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871, to the Seamen?s Church Institute, 18 Market Square, Newport, RI 02840 or to the St. Mary?s Church Building Fund, Spring Street, Newport, RI 02840.