Bill Ritchie
1953-05-18 2023-08-12
Bill E. Ritchie, 70, passed away on Aug. 12, 2023.
As the child of an Army Master Sergeant, he spent his childhood living around the world including Germany and France. His father was an army recruiter, and was assigned to Logansport, Indiana, when Bill was 10. This is where they would plant roots. Bill became a very proud Logansport Berry. He played football and wrestling for the Berries. He tried basketball, but since he was used to contact sports, he fouled out of every game, and never played in the second half. He attended Indiana State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and met the love of his life Paula.
Bill built a stellar career with Management Recruiters International (MRI), starting in 1994. Affectionately known as the "Six Million Dollar Man" by his colleagues and family for being the first to reach major milestones of achievement with MRI, Bill was the recipient of multiple national, regional and local awards, including: Account Executive of the Year, Pacesetter, and member of MRI's Hall of Fame. Bill accepted an offer to become a partner with MRI (now iRiS Recruiting Solutions) in 2002, where he continued to help build organizations and change lives for the better until his retirement in 2019.
Bill was the definition of "fiercely loyal." Anyone connected to Bill would say that he was a man who loved hard. Once you were "in," you were in for life. This ferocious love extended to those that he loved and their chosen families. If you were good to his people, that was enough for him. He was a father figure to many, and willingly assisted and guided his niece, nephew, and children's friends like they were his own. Bill's wit was unmatched, and his sense of humor perfectly fit his personality.
He was a die-hard Notre Dame football fan, and loved to represent for his Indiana State Sycamores any chance he had. He became an avid Indiana Hoosiers fan when his children, and his money, traveled to Bloomington. His love for youth sports permeated his life. He coached many of his son's Little League teams and served as the Little League Commissioner. One of his family's most cherished memories includes sitting around listening to music on his 100-disc CD changer, watching him dance with his wife and sharing many stories.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Paula Ritchie; as well as his three children, Curt, Colleen and Cara; his father, William C Ritchie; his sister, Sherry Frank; his nephew, Chris Frank; and his niece, Tammy Geisler (Eric), as well as their children.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Hattie Ritchie.
As the child of an Army Master Sergeant, he spent his childhood living around the world including Germany and France. His father was an army recruiter, and was assigned to Logansport, Indiana, when Bill was 10. This is where they would plant roots. Bill became a very proud Logansport Berry. He played football and wrestling for the Berries. He tried basketball, but since he was used to contact sports, he fouled out of every game, and never played in the second half. He attended Indiana State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and met the love of his life Paula.
Bill built a stellar career with Management Recruiters International (MRI), starting in 1994. Affectionately known as the "Six Million Dollar Man" by his colleagues and family for being the first to reach major milestones of achievement with MRI, Bill was the recipient of multiple national, regional and local awards, including: Account Executive of the Year, Pacesetter, and member of MRI's Hall of Fame. Bill accepted an offer to become a partner with MRI (now iRiS Recruiting Solutions) in 2002, where he continued to help build organizations and change lives for the better until his retirement in 2019.
Bill was the definition of "fiercely loyal." Anyone connected to Bill would say that he was a man who loved hard. Once you were "in," you were in for life. This ferocious love extended to those that he loved and their chosen families. If you were good to his people, that was enough for him. He was a father figure to many, and willingly assisted and guided his niece, nephew, and children's friends like they were his own. Bill's wit was unmatched, and his sense of humor perfectly fit his personality.
He was a die-hard Notre Dame football fan, and loved to represent for his Indiana State Sycamores any chance he had. He became an avid Indiana Hoosiers fan when his children, and his money, traveled to Bloomington. His love for youth sports permeated his life. He coached many of his son's Little League teams and served as the Little League Commissioner. One of his family's most cherished memories includes sitting around listening to music on his 100-disc CD changer, watching him dance with his wife and sharing many stories.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Paula Ritchie; as well as his three children, Curt, Colleen and Cara; his father, William C Ritchie; his sister, Sherry Frank; his nephew, Chris Frank; and his niece, Tammy Geisler (Eric), as well as their children.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Hattie Ritchie.
Bill was a friend to all, even us unpopular kids. He made me laugh everytime i saw him. Bill always had a lot of confidence and optimism. I am not surprised that he was good at recruiting people.
tribute by Debra Iles