John Duncan Ritchie

JOHN D. RITCHIE DEC. 23, 1942 - June 14, 2023 "Roundhouse", was one of many of the greetings one would get on John's cell or business phone. The caller knew immediately that John Ritchie was a "train guy". John came from a railroad family. He was born in Minot, N.D. on Dec. 23, 1942 to Luene and Duncan "Dick" Ritchie, who was chief mechanical officer for the Great Northern Railroad. Both parents and many relatives were connected to the railroad industry. The family moved to Vancouver, WA in 1957, where Dick was transferred to the BSNF. John attended McLoughlin Jr. High and Hudson's Bay High School, graduating in 1960. He then went to Yankton College in Yankton, S.D., graduating in 1965. He made many local and college friends, maintaining relationships to this day. Later, he was elected to the College Board and sponsored nine students with scholarships and funds. He was very proud of his liberal arts education. He went into the investment business, being an institutional salesman. He worked for Birr Wilson, Paine Webber, Prudential securities, and Morgan Stanley, where he was continually in their chairman's council. He was previously married to Bonnie Broullard and Mavis Lindeman. In 1982, he connected with an old high school friend; Marilyn "Willy" Grimm. They married to Bagpipes in 1984. John discovered wine in the 1980's with a good friend and together they "educated" themselves with tastings, books and trips that afforded them many vintner friends in Burgundy, Alsace, Oregon and Washington. His many trips around the United States on various corporate train cars and steam engines, filled up his dance card with another group of passionate men in the railroad industry. He was his the happiest being around trains. He combined his love of wine and railroad for many successful fundraisers, often on corporate cars that his corporate railroad friends allowed him to use. He loved to entertain and excelled as a "business matchmaker". With his wife and chef friends, they had many events at their home in Vancouver where John shared his extensive wine cellar. His love of people included a group of assorted Alaskan business men and chefs that tasted the wine of the world. They met every summer in Anchorage or a wine-related locale where "the boys" did justice to wine and food! John's father, was sent to Vladivostok, Russia in the early 1900"s (John was born when his dad was 52), to work with the Russian railroad on American trains. As a consequence of this, John took some Russian language classes at Yankton. He spoke enough that he often fooled new immigrant families that had just fled to the US from the Ukraine, many of whom ended up working for, and being like family to John and Willy. John opened his own business, Great Northern Asset Management in 2012 until his retirement in 2022. He felt this was the most satisfying segment of his career, relishing being a wealth advisor. Along the work treadmill, John joined many clubs, corporate and community boards including: Rainier Club, Arlington Club, Barriger National Railroad Library, Washington Athletic Club, Skyline Trail Riders, Confrerie St. Etienne, Alsace, Metropolitan Family Services Wine Auction, Museum of Glass, Oregon Symphony Steam Tour, Yankton College, Pacific University, Affiliate Artist, Inc., SW Washington Hospital Services, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Oregon and Portland Symphony. The family wishes to thank the Providence and Legacy Doctors and their staff who treated John with such kindness and care. Besides leaving his wife 'Willy" of 39 years, nieces, nephews, Dena Tanguay of Glacier View, Alaska, (one of his adopted recruits), special friends Engred Chai, Portland, OR, Amy Campbell, Ogden, UT (previous assistant at GNAM and current assistant in retirement); helpers Inessa Yadlovsky and Karen De La Torre, both of Vancouver, WA and his many, many restaurant friends. He was preceded in death by a sister, "Joie" Thompson. A good friend said "John was a big man in size, in exuberance, hospitality, generosity, and in joke-telling (sometimes to our groans)". The storyteller has taken the last train of the night. Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits

John Duncan Ritchie

November 23, 1942 - June 14, 2023