MARTINSVILLE
In loving memory of John Ekberg Ritter, who passed away on Tuesday, July 12, surrounded by loved ones in Martinsville, Indiana.
John was born in Evanston, Illinois on the 16th of November in 1931 and is preceded in death by his parents Lillian and Carl; his brother, Bob; sister, Betty; and daughter-in-law Cindy.
John was a devoted husband to his wife of 62 years, Bonny (Griffith) Ritter; loving father of Kathryn (Stephen) Heeger, Allen (Jane), Steven, Eric, Michael (Jodi), and Robert (Paula); grandfather to 17, and a great-grandfather to six. John is survived by his brother Chuck and many friends and relatives. He will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
John and Bonny enjoyed attending their grand children’s events. They spent many hours traveling to and watching performances.
John loved the outdoors. Following the inspiration of his favorite author, Sigmund Olson, John introduced his sons to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Quetico. Frequent trips to the north woods were one of John’s passions in life.
John dreamed of living in a log cabin on a lake. In 1990, John and Bonny built their “log cabin” on Lake Nebo in Martinsville, Indiana. John loved to fish, take visitors on boat rides around the lake, and sit on the deck drinking coffee and listening to the loons – the highlight of every spring!
John developed a passion for ice cream at an early age. His first job was cleaning the parking lot for a local ice cream parlor in his hometown of Skokie, Illinois. This passion led him to become the founder of Ritter’s Frozen Custard in Franklin, Indiana, which eventually grew to more than 60 stores and franchises. But the ice cream business was John’s second career. He was a true entrepreneur, passionate about art and creating.
After graduating from Evanston High School, John served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-54, where he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Aerial Photography School in Washington, D.C., and in Pensacola, Florida. There, he worked on various models and illustrations of aerial photographic techniques. He had a knack for drawing and did a lot of his art by hand.
When he left the Navy, he worked for an advertising agency in Chicago, before founding the animation company Ritter-Waxberg &Associates. Ritter-Waxberg specialized in creating fully animated television commercials in promotional films. Here, John created Charlie the Tuna for StarKist. Other clients included Tombstone Pizza, Green Giant, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and Old Style beer ? a Chicago staple.
As computer technology evolved, and the industry veered away from traditional motion picture animation, Ritter was ready for a change. It was his son Steve that suggested starting an ice cream business. John and Bonny traveled and tasted many different ice creams in search of the perfect recipe. With the recipe in hand and after looking at properties around the mid-west, they settled on Franklin, Indiana, for the first shop and moved their home to Martinsville, Indiana where they lived for over 30 years.
John’s creativity and strong work ethic made an impact on his six children, who are now spread all over the country and have careers spanning medicine, academia, business and IT.
Visitation for friends and family is 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Monday, July 18, 2022 at Costin Funeral Chapel. Services will follow the visitation at 1:00 p.m. with Lynnette Griffith officiating.
Burial with military honors will be at Nebo Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, individuals can make a gift to the IU Foundation to benefit the John E. Ritter Scholarship in The Media School. Please make checks payable to “IU Foundation” with “John E. Ritter Scholarship” in the memo line or donate online at https://www.myiu.org/give-now (write in “John E. Ritter Scholarship” in the write-in gift area.)
