John Wayne Ritter, M.D.

John Wayne Ritter, M.D.

Nov. 19, 1925 – Jan. 5, 2023

John Wayne Ritter, M.D., 97, died on Jan. 5, 2023 in Katy, TX.

Dr. Ritter was born Nov. 19, 1925 in El Centro, Calif. in the home of his parents, Herman Mathias and Genevieve Ritter. At age 4, the Great Depression began and his father could not find work as a teacher. The family moved onto an abandoned farm and lived in a broken-down farmhouse with a leaky roof and no running water or electricity. Because there were no schools near-by and many hands were needed to survive on the farm, John spent the next six years working on the farm instead of going to school. When John was 10, the family was able to move off of the farm, and John and younger sister Pat could finally go to school. By high school, he had a 4.0 grade point average and played on the football, basketball and track teams, holding records for the 800-meter race. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Early in his senior year, 17 year old John joined the Navy, where he fired torpedoes on a destroyer, the USS Davison. When the war ended, his ship was converted to a mine-sweeper, and he became the ship's cook.

After the war he earned his bachelor's degree in Biology at Fresno State. He planned to go to medical school, but even with the GI bill, he could not afford American universities, so he ended up attending the University of Vienna in Austria where tuition was the equivalent of $40 per semester. In the spring of 1949, he arrived in Vienna knowing that his classes would be taught in German, but did not himself speak German. After spending the summer learning the language and customs, he started medical school in the fall.

John married a Viennese girl, Grete Adler, and had three children, the first of whom died at birth. After graduating summa cum laude from medical school at the University of Vienna, the family relocated to Fresno, Calif. and then to Seattle, Wash. John joined a family practice group, and completed his residency in general surgery and also in obstetrics and gynecology. After his wife died, he married Donna Copeland who had 3 daughters, Gina, Patti and Margaret, and together they had 2 sons. The family relocated to Ritzville, Wash. where John was the only physician for ten years.

He later married Mary Carmen Sewell who had 4 sons, Bill, Brian, Brad and Bart. John and Carmen relocated to Southern Calif., where he completed his residency in anesthesiology. At Wadsworth VA hospital, he became an assistant professor of anesthesiology, was the head of the anesthesia department, and did research on regional anesthesia. His research led to being invited to give presentations at many locations, including his beloved Vienna.

John and Mary Carmen enjoyed 45 years of sharing each other's passions and dreams often escaping back to Vienna for events such as the Viennese millennial New Year's Ball on Jan. 1, 2000.

John ended his career as a pain management physician in private practice in Glendora, Calif., ultimately retiring at the age of 90.

He enjoyed backpacking, fishing, skiing, golfing, mountain climbing, telling stories, travelling, and was a member of the American Rose Society. In 2019 he reached the milestone of 50 years in the Scottish Rite, as a 32nd degree Mason.

John is survived by his wife, Mary Carmen Ritter of Katy, Texas; daughter, Elisabeth (Chris) Hardy of Beaverton, OR; daughter, Barbara (Paul) Theroux of Long Beach, Calif .; son William (Lori) Ritter of Salem, Ore .; sister, Patricia (Jim) Hill of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif .; seven step-children; and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

John was preceded in death by his first-born child Mathias Ritter and last-born child Michael Ritter.

In lieu of gifts, donations may be made to the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).