Obituary of Eldon F. Ritchey

RITCHEY -  Eldon F. ,  93, of Ebensburg, passed away Friday, December 4, 2020 at UPMC Altoona Hospital.  Born on November 13, 1927 in Portage, son of the late Clarence and Lois (Long) Ritchey.  Last surviving member of his immediate family, he was preceded in death by  all of his seven siblings.   With the biggest heart, Eldon fiercely loved his family. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Beverly J. (Robinson) Ritchey, daughters Paula (William) Dickert, Kimberly (Larry) Ferguson, and sons Scott (Imogene Troxler) Ritchey and Todd (Frances Yakicic) Ritchey, along with his 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.  Eldon loved being surrounded by family. He was the keeper of family memories. As such, Eldon documented the family’s life with dozens of photo albums for everyone to enjoy the precious memories of times together.   After graduating from Portage High School, Eldon enlisted in the US Army in 1945 and was stationed at Guam in the Pacific.  After returning home, Eldon earned a barber’s license and began taking business classes from Penn State.   In 1950 he married Beverly Robinson which during a life well spent, was the best decision he ever made.  In 1960 Eldon and Beverly bought their first home in Cresson where he began to make his mark on the local business community.  He founded and operated 3 businesses: GEM Stamping, Summit Steel, and Keystone Bolt.  Eldon was proud to be a job creator and active in the community.  With the Lions Club he worked fundraisers to build the first public pool in Cresson.  He was also a member of the American Legion and the Elks.  Having an aptitude and love for the game of golf, Eldon was a member of the Summit Country Club for many years. Closing out his many victories, at the age of 83, Eldon won the 2011 Presidents Cup with a score of 57.  Victories aside, the best moments on the course were with his sons.  In 1980 Eldon and Beverly would begin dividing their time between summers in Cresson and winters in Florida, where they lived in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna and, most recently, thirteen years in The Villages. With open arms they welcomed their family and friends to their homes wherever they were.   A memorial will be held on a later date at the United Methodist Church in Ebensburg, PA.   In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Eldon’s name to the Children of St. Jude or the Shriners’ Hospital.  Arrangements are in the care of the Askew-Houser Funeral Homes, Inc., Ebensburg

 

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