James"Jimmy" Ritter
(February 13, 1945 - May 24, 2012)

JAMES "JIMMY" RITTER, 67, of Huntington, passed away due to a long illness, Thursday, May 24, 2012, at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House of Huntington. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday at the Westmoreland Baptist Church, of which he was a member, by Steve Williams. Burial will be in Ridgelawn Memorial Park, Huntington. He was born Feb. 13, 1945, in Huntington, W.Va., a son of Eugene Damron of Huntington and the late Velma LaFon Damron. He was a retired elevator mechanic with Murphy Elevator Company. Jimmy was a 1963 graduate of Vinson High School, a U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran, a member of Howard P. Hall VFW Post 1064 of Huntington and the American Legion Post 16 of Huntington. For 22 years, he was a Huntington City Councilman in District 1, Westmoreland. Since the early 80s Jimmy coached soccer, Little League Baseball, senior baseball and midget league basketball. He was the soccer coach of Vinson High School boys, Spring Valley High School girls and Cabell Midland High School boys. He was honorary granddad for the Spring Valley girls volleyball team. Jimmy was an avid fan of Marshall University and he loved to fish, bowl and camp. In addition to his father, survivors include his wife of 40 years, Norma Jean Ritter; two sons and a daughter-in-law, James Todd and Gina Ritter of Huntington, and Chad Michael Ritter of Louisville, Ky.; three grandchildren and their spouses, Brittany Jean Ritter, Danielle Marie and Derek Stevens, and Jessica Michele and Nick Greene; two great-grandchildren, Andrielle Mussette Johnson and Bentley Thomas Stevens; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Steve and Joyce Damron of Huntington, and David and Louri Ritter of Cleveland, Ohio; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Becky and John Collins of Huntington, and Mary Beth and Todd Jewett of Cleveland, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews. Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Reger Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. Monday at the church. The Veterans Honor Guard of American Legion Post 16 of Huntington will conduct military graveside rites.