John Coleman Ritchie, age 66, passed away on January 15, 2023 in Broward County Florida. John was the only son of George G. Ritchie MD and Marguerite Ritchie of Richmond, Va.

Mr. Ritchie graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, earned his Masters in Business Administration from Kaplan University; graduated from American Intercontinental University as an IT tech, and finally was certified by the state of Florida as a beekeeper. He took his mission to protect his bees very seriously. They even tried to go to the hospital with him when they filled the ambulance he was going to ride in. After another ambulance was called and all bees were rescued and returned to their hives nearby.

In his free time, he loved fishing, in the flats of Florida, diving in the Keys, biking, hiking, camping, and birdwatching and photography. John and Laraine loved to travel, having honeymooned in France, and toured the East Coast of the US from Maine to Pensacola and the Keys, and Bermuda, as well as many Western state like California, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho, hiking, four wheeling, fly fishing and photographing many natural wonders. Their love of museums and history took them to Richmond, the city of his birth and Monticello, Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, and many battlefields in the Virginia area and through the mountains where they camped.

Mr. Ritchie, a native of Richmond Virginia, has resided here for the past 28 years meeting wife Laraine in 1994 and marrying in 1998. For most of that time he worked as a chef in many upscale restaurants from NYC to Germany and South Florida, teacher at Publix Cooking School and as a Professional Videographer and admissions advisor at Kaplan University, and finished his life as a passionate certified beekeeper, rescuer and owner of Honey Bee Rescue of South Florida.

Mr. Ritchie is survived by his wife Laraine Ritchie, son Joe Vallone, (Alison) three grandsons Tom, Nick and Dan. Also daughter Heather Vallone, her children Alex Vear of Reno, NV. ,Ashlyn Infante (Andres) granddaughter Annabelle of Floral City, FL ; Gabrielle and daughter Ophelia, and son Brandon, of Largo, FL. Also surviving Mr. Ritchie is his sister Bonnie DeHaven, of Lancaster Ohio, her daughters Dabney Robinson (Adam), children Shiley and Coleman, residents of Pittsburgh; Caroline Stadler (Josh) and children Hudson, Paisley, Veda and Oakley of Nelsonville, Ohio. He adored his nieces and nephews who he didn't see often because of distance,  and grandchildren  with whom he spent many beautiful days cooking, fishing, camping, and playing at Florida theme parks. 

A celebration of life memorial is scheduled for Saturday,  March 25, 2023 from noon to four at the Ritchie residence at 11470 NW 36 Place, Sunrise, FL   Please RSVP to laraine5@comcast.net

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/john-ritchie/obituary/

Copy