| Graduation Year | Class of 1960 |
| Date of Passing | Jul 31, 2010 |
| About | Straight A student @ South Gate Senior High School. Joe Quintana went to his house @ 7AM to pick him up only to find from Mrs Ritter that Dave had joined the Army and was at the induction center in Los Angeles as they spoke. This was about a week after graduation [19 June, 1960].. Quintana immediately went to my house to tell me. After getting me up, I brushed my hair, shaved, brushed my teeth and off to the enlistment office in South Gate. enlistment officer in SG called the induction center and told them to hold Ritter over for a day cause two of his buddies were joining w/him the following day. We picked Dave up at the induction center and we started making the rounds, [donut shop, Mc Donalds, Harvey's Broiler, the shoe shine stand on Tweedy and Bowman, The La Siesta-to tell Tina so she could pass the word- We tried to find Jim Wilson but he was up at Bass Lake w/Daryll Henry water skiing. Quintana was in artillery and Ritter and I both ended up in the signal corp [Ritter as an installer/repairman and I as a Morse Code, radio teletype, and crypto operator. Dave ended up as a Sgt E-5 [when we went thru his belongings his uniforms [class A's, suntans, fatigues] were hanging in his closet lookin' like they were ready for inspection. Dave could still fit in them just like he did fifty years hence. He was with Caesars Lake Tahoe for many years. He held every position they had except manager of all the divisions they had-he turned position down may times because it would not allow him enough time for dirt bikes, snow mobiles, girl friends, yada, yada]. They held a memorial service for him at the Carson Valley Inn-he [packed 'em in]. We were playing black jack at a Indian Casino in Washington state a couple of years after Dave's passing. While dealer was shuffeling we asked if she had ever worked in Tahoe to which she responded that she had for many years.. We asked if she knew Ritter and she responded hell yes, Doc and I worked at Caesars togather. We asked her if she knew he had died she almost collapsed. They had to call in another dealer to complete her shift. She was completely shaken. He has a son and daughter-in-law in Seattle very far up the food chain in he financial world. They are Jet Setters traveling al over the world] If Dave Ritter was your friend you didn't need another one. Fifty or so of his friends went out in the desert camping out. They built a huge bon fire, most of 'em got wasted and spent the night telling Doc Ritter stories. Jim and I didn't know about it or we probably wudda driven the 450 miles to join them. |
