Joann Margaret Ritz

RITZ, Joann Margaret, 87, of Mechanicsville, VA went to be with the Lord, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was greeted in Heaven by her beloved husband of 58 years, Richard Charles Ritz; her children, Jean Marie and Kevin Lee; her parents, Henry and Ida (Gundy) Sieck; four brothers and a sister. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Richard Allen (Jen), Kenneth Richard (Kathryn), and Michael Joseph (Cathy); sixteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren (with one on the way); her sister, Donna Wheatley; and her brother, Jerry Sieck. Born in Jacksonville, Iowa, Joann grew up working on her family farm. She graduated from Elk Horn High School where she was an avid softball player. After high school, she attended St. Anthony’s School of Nursing in Carroll, Iowa, where she attained her RN degree in 1957 and made many lifelong friends. From there Joann joined a traveling nursing group and moved to Idaho Falls, where she met the love of her life, Richard. They had a whirlwind courtship and married just six months later. As the wife of a Navy man, she traveled the country while raising their five children in the Catholic faith. Upon Richard’s retirement from the US Navy, they made their final home in Mechanicsville, VA. They also maintained a second home at the Bryce Resort in Basye, VA, where they enjoyed playing many rounds of golf and watching the birds. Joann and Dick also made many beautiful memories traveling the world together. Joann had a servant’s heart and volunteered her time with various organizations throughout the years including Battlefield Elementary and The Church of the Redeemer. Her dedication to her faith and the church soon led to her accepting a full-time position there as the Coordinator of Religious Education. Joann lived out her Catholic faith in word and deed, touching so many lives in many ways. She had a way of striking up conversations with people and leading them to the church through various clubs and ministries she was a part of, including bible study, grief support groups, and book club. Her greeting card ministry distributed hundreds of birthday, sympathy, and anniversary cards over the years which the recipients cherished. She lived to serve and not be served, always thinking of others even during her final days. Joann was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother and will be greatly missed. The family will receive friends from 6 – 9 pm, Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Catholic Church of the Redeemer, 8275 Meadowbridge Rd., Mechanicsville, 23116, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 am, Saturday, September 7, 2024. A private interment will be held at Signal Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the church, or to the family to be distributed to the multitude of charities Joann regularly donated to. 

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