Guy F. Ritter Jr., 87, of St. Simons Island passed Wednesday, Jan 20, 2021, due to COVID-19 complications.
Guy was born in Detroit to the late Margaret Ethel (Reed) Ritter and Guy Franklin Ritter Sr. and along with his wife, Peggy Anne (Maloy) Ritter, made Magnolia Manor of St. Simons Island his home for the past several years. He became a widower in August of 2020 when his wife of 66 years succumbed to complications from COVID-19.
Guy graduated from Georgia Tech with two degrees, BS (architecture) and BS engineering (structural) and received a graduate degree of Master of Science in building engineering (structural) from MIT. He was a licensed structural engineer in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and North Carolina. His firm, Lindsey and Ritter Inc. (Albany) worked as a structural partner with many U.S. architectural firms.
He was the recipient of the Valued Engineer Award, GSA, in 1974; member of the Georgia Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors; a noteworthy structural engineer as designated by Marquis Who’s Who; member of Georgia Industrialized Buildings Advisory Committee; director of Structural Engineers Risk Management Council; member, American Society of Civil Engineers; member, American Council of Engineering Companies; member, American Concrete Institute (Special Structure Award for bridge 1994); national vice president of the Coalition of American Structural Engineers; member, National Society of Professional Engineers; member, Albany Rotary Club (past local president); and a Paul Harris fellow, 1997.
In his later years, he was an expert witness in trial litigations and on the board of several groups for oversight in building, construction and engineering ventures. He sold his business in 1998 and continued his private consulting practice in structural engineering in Clayton, Georgia, until he was fully retired to Kingsland with his wife, Peggy.
Guy was an active and involved member of several communities over his lifetime: Atlanta, Albany, Cordele, Clayton, Kingsland and finally St. Simons Island. Guy and Peggy enjoyed a busy social life with friends during their adult years and shared a long-term love affair with their mini-poodle, Willie.
Guy loved reading, tennis, camping in the Great Smoky Mountains and Port St. Joe, Florida, the Blue Ridge Parkway and showing off his girls. He enjoyed sharing “dates” with each of his daughters to Georgia Tech football games and was proud to proclaim himself a “Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech and a Hell of an Engineer” and taught the girls the Georgia Tech fight song purportedly before they could walk. He was proud to escort each of his daughters to their debutante balls sponsored by the Charity League of Albany. He was “Papa” to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mr. Ritter is survived by his three daughters, Constance Elaine Ritter Lang of Sarasota, Florida, Margaret Anne (Buzzy) Ritter Hickox of Kingsland and Sallie Reed Ritter Smith, and husband Reed, of Atlanta; five grandchildren, Brooke Anne Hickox of Kingsland, LCDR Reed Ransom Smith Jr. of Arlington, Virginia, Stephanie Elizabeth Smith of Atlanta, Tucker Edward Hickox and his wife, Katy, of Kingsland, and Travis Ritter Lang and his wife, Megan, of Niceville, Florida; and great-grandchildren, Carter B. Hickox, Aubree Rose Hickox and Bailey McCool Lang.
The family requests donations be made to Magnolia Manor of St. Simons, 100 Heritage Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 in lieu of flowers.
The family would like to thank the outstanding staff of Magnolia Manor, St. Simons Island, the comfort and caring of the Golden Isles Hospice staff and the front-line professionals of Southeast Georgia Health System, both Camden and Brunswick campuses, for their exceptional dedication, and many kindnesses.
Allison Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.