Mary Josephine Ritchie

Mary Josephine (Mary Jo) Ritchie, 52, of Concord, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 10, 2017, at Carolinas HealthCare System--Main in Charlotte.

A celebration of Mary Jo’s life will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Concord with the Rev. Dr. Mark Ericson and Father Charles Donovan officiating. The Ritchie family will receive friends at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. Burial will follow the service at St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery.

A native of Browns, IL, Mary Jo was born in Mt. Carmel, Illinois on Oct. 16, 1964, to the late Irvin Tennis and Katherine Kneer Tennis. She was employed by Carolinas HealthCare System as a medical coder, with Cabarrus Family Medicine at the time of her death. A member of St. James the Greater Catholic Church, she also regularly attended St. John’s Lutheran Church where she was a member of the hand bell choir.

Mary Jo was a generous and caring person, always ready to help others, which made her a natural fit as a member of St. John’s Grange. She enjoyed many outdoor activities, particularly raising grapes in the family vineyard and blueberries on the farm.

Mary Jo is survived by her husband of 12 years, David Ritchie of the home; a stepson Todd (Jennifer) Ritchie of Concord; five brothers, Louis (Gabriela) Tennis, Jerry (Linda) Tennis, Ray Joe Tennis, Jim Tennis (Jeanne) and Mark (Marsha) Tennis, all of Illinois; three sisters, Rose Marie (Bill) Speicher of Indiana, Bernadette (Larry) Shein of Washington, and Annette (Paul) Sherman of Illinois; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Contributions in Mary Jo’s memory may be directed to St. John’s Lutheran Church, Music Fund, 100 St. John’s Church Road, Concord, NC 28025.