Ralph Kermit Reitz
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Mass of Christian Burial for Ralph Kermit Reitz, 79, Lawrence, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Ralph passed away peacefully on Friday, April 5, 2024 at LMH Health surrounded by family and friends as mass was being said by his old friend, Father John Schmeidler. Ralph had been fighting Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer complicated by pneumonia.
Ralph was born on July 16, 1944 to Ralph and Lucille (Mollhagen) Reitz at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from Salina High School in 1962 and earned his
degree in business from Emporia State. He served his country in the Air National Guard and began a career with Mobil Oil in Kansas City and St. Louis. He returned to Salina in 1973 where he had many business interests which he sold and became an investment broker with AG Edwards and Sons. Ralph was a former member of Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow. After his father’s passing, he retired to Lawrence in 1995 to manage the family farms and his personal investments.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved grandson, William. He is survived by his wife, Jean; daughter, Jennifer (Steve); son, Randall; siblings, Sid (Susy), Kenneth; grandsons, Jonathan and Steven; and many nieces and nephews.
Thank you to the Lawrence Presbyterian Manor for their care of Ralph.
We love you and will miss your bright light until we meet again.
A Rosary will be recited prior to the service at 10 a.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ralph’s name to St. John Catholic School, Corpus Christi Catholic School, or The William Gregory Dennis Scholarship Fund (for Holy Trinity Catholic School boys attending Rockhurst High School) and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
I am so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you all. Ralph was a wonderful man.
I am so sorry for your loss of Ralph. Much love to you and your family. Joyce Harlow.
We at Willowridge Landscape are so sorry to hear of the loss of Ralph. I didn’t personally know Ralph, but he would call the office quite often and talk for as long as possible. Even though I didn’t personally know him, I felt like I did with all his stories, him talking about the farms, his wife Jean, his kids and grandchildren. I will miss our talks and his witty personality. He seemed like a wonderful man. R.I.P. Ralph.
Dear Jean and family:
So sorry to hear about the passing of Ralph. We enjoyed getting to know both of you. Thinking of you.