Mabel Dunn Ritchie

Mabel Dunn Ritchie, age 96, passed away peacefully in her home in Bermuda Village, Advance, NC on February 16, 2022, surrounded by family members. She will be dearly missed by her surviving children: Dorothy Spath (Charles) of Mansfield, MA; Dr. Jack Ritchie (Chris) of Winston-Salem, NC; Kenneth D. Ritchie (Christine) of Garden City, NY; and Stephen M. Ritchie (Lisa) of Charlotte, NC. She also will be missed by her seven surviving grandchildren: Megan Mitchell (Elliot) of Washington, D.C.; Claire Furr (Joshua) of Raleigh, NC; Andrea Ritchie of Asheville, NC; Brian Spath of Hartford, CT; Kristin Gordon (Craig) of Attleboro, MA; Ken Ritchie of Tulsa, OK; and Kyle Ritchie of Garden City, NY. She also leaves behind three wonderful great-grandchildren: Paxton Furr (5), Delilah Furr (2), and Aidan Mitchell (3). Also surviving are two loving sisters: Cathy Kiley of Garden City, NY and Sister Dorothy Dunn of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart of Philadelphia, PA, along with many nieces and nephews that were part of her extended family and provided her with much joy. A New York native, Mabel was born on June 27, 1925 in Queens, NY to John and Mabel Dunn. Her life took her from her hometown in NYC to Albany NY, later to FL, and eventually to NC, prompted by her husband’s failing health. A truly brilliant mind, Mabel started high school in NYC at age 11, and graduated from Queens College in NYC at age 19. She started her career in advertising at Dancer Fitzgerald in NYC. She married the love of her life, John F. Ritchie in November of 1950. Mabel then devoted the next phase of her life to raising, educating and cultivating a strong faith in her four children as members of St. Pius X Catholic Church and School. Mabel had an engaging personality, and was known for her charm, grace and intellectual curiosity. This, combined with her interest in golf, tennis, and duplicate bridge, helped her meet and develop life-long friendships. She enjoyed fostering these skills as a member of Wolferts Roost Country Club in Albany, NY for 36 years, then later at the Plantation Country Club in Venice, FL, and finally at Bermuda Run Country Club in Advance, NC. Through her move to NC, Mabel found a strong new community – both at Bermuda Village and as a parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons. She enjoyed spending her final years with new friends, playing rounds of golf into her nineties and played bridge to within months of her death. Mabel’s family takes great comfort in the belief that Mabel and her husband are together again. They would also like to express their sincere appreciation to the special caregivers who provided a warm and caring environment for Mabel over the past many months of her declining health. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church on Friday, February 25 at 11:00AM. The family will receive visitors at a luncheon immediately following in the church’s Family Center. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Trellis Supportive Care (https://www.trellissupport.org), a hospice organization that was instrumental in facilitating care of Mabel in her final days. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.