Mary Ritchie Obituary

Mary Jane was an icon in Crozet. She walked her doberman's all over Crozet. Doberman rescue was her passion. I first met her when I worked at Crozet Hardware. She would come in to shop with her dog. What a wonderful person she was.

I met Mary Jane over 20 years ago through a mutual friend/neighbor, Isabelle Edwards and together we took care of her at end of life
Mary Jane and I shared many a walk with her dogs, many a meal and mutual advice sessions. She will be missed greatly

My favorite memory was her walking her Rottweiler dogs in Crozet. Daffy came to the hardware store frequently. The last one, Daisy was a handful she told me when I stopped by her house for a visit. So sorry to hear of her passing. She was a special lady.

Mary Jane was the best neighbor our family has ever had. Over the last 18 years it has been a joy seeing and talking with her when she was out and about walking the dogs. She will be missed.

Mary Jane was a good friend & the best neighbor you could ask for...we miss her so much!

Maryjane was a colleague for many years at CHS. She was always on the top of her game and worked diligently for her students. A fine lady.

Mary Jane will always be an example of integrity. True integrity. She always tried to do the right thing no matter how difficult the situation.
She loved her children unconditionally. She loved her friends and expressed those feelings no matter the distance or time apart.
Farewell my friend

Not enough opportunities over the years to see my Aunt Mary Jane. So very grateful to get to spend some time with her just this summer. Love to you from me and my little silver dog.

A dear friend, my colleague, confidant, and a courageous advocate for special needs children. She loved nature, the beauty of God´s creation especially the blue ridge mountains that bordered Crozet. She was a compassionate soul who loved the diversity found in humanity, the joy expressed in music , the song of a bird heard at dusk. Her unwavering friendship was a treasure. May she rest in peace.

Mary Jane was a strong woman and a natural educator. She adopted both of her children and strived to break the taboo of what was once an unspoken story. She developed a diapering method for children in body casts that was used nationally. She was an active member of the Junior League of Kingsport. She became head of the volunteers at Bays Mountain Park and led wildflower walks. Mary Jane worked with Sierra Club to help prevent the Park from being commercially developed to conserve the public land. As her children grew older, Mary Jane went back to school at ETSU to renew her teaching certificate and further honed her skills which lead to a Masters Degree in Special Education, working with special needs infants and assisting the department heads with college age students. This personal empowerment led her to become St. Paul's Church (Kingsport) first female Senior Warden.
In her 50's, Mary Jane moved to Charlottesville on her own. She met some wonderful people on yoga retreats while she was in Grad School and fell in love with the natural beauty of the area. She treasured the memories of traveling with the group on her first trip to Europe. Mary Jane bought her first house and began teaching Special Ed at the High School level and met a group of educators who formed a supportive friendship group that continued to meet through this year to celebrate each others birthdays. As she settled in Charlottesville, Mary Jane began to explore many new interests. Her activism led her to marches on Washington for the National Organization of Women and LGBTQ+ Pride. She also loved going to UVA Women's Basketball games and would ride to away games on the fan bus. She rescued her first Rottweiler and then decided to move to Crozet so she could have a yard. This began a decades long love of Rotties and the adoption of three more. Mary Jane loved to take miles long walks with her dogs during her retirement in Crozet. She attributed a good diet and exercise to her physical health. She was able to do handstands into her 80s and lifted weights with a personal trainer.
Mary Jane enjoyed the community she experienced at St. Paul's Memorial in Charlottesville. She loved the music and volunteered with the Alter Guild. During COVID, Mary Jane found comfort and joy watching the services from the National Cathedral in Washington DC.
Mary Jane was a very social person and never met a stranger. She had many friends across diverse groups. She was not just my Mother, she was my friend

Mary Jane and I shared some delightful times while I lived in Charlottesville and continued to stay in touch after I moved. She was a special lady who loved her children and her Rottweilers. I will miss her.

I am incredibly honored having known Mary Jane - as a colleague, big dog lover, mahogany cake baker, wild flower expert, storyteller, Derby hat-wearer, fellow Episcopalian, and most of all a compassionate and knowledgeable friend. And then there´s her pimento cheese! Her last text to me was, "peace of the Lord, Tom". I replied, "thanks be to God". And so it goes.

All of us at PT Plus in Crozet enjoyed Mary so much. She was so kind, pleasant and fun to work with. I personally enjoyed her stories. I know how much she loved her children, and her dog Daisy. She was fiercely independent, and a great dog Mom. An all around great person who will be missed.

Mary Jane was a wonderful friend, a spirited and independent woman and a fiercely protective dog mom. I was honored to be her friend! I will miss her. <3

Mary Ambha Smilie Ritchie was a wonderful friend, teacher, and storyteller. May her soul be filled with peace and joy. Condolences to her children.

Mary Jane was a very special friend to me my husband and my parents. We loved Mary Jane as if she were family. I will miss her terribly as will my husband but we are so much better off for having her in our lives. My deepest sympathy to you Joan and to Tom. Suzy