Phillip L. Ritter

Phillip L. Ritter passed away peacefully Thursday, January 27, 2022, at the age of 75 with his wife of 48 years, Marilynn, by his side. Phil was a chemist, inventor, professional tinkerer, barista, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He spent 30 years as a chemist at the Procter and Gamble Company; many of his formulations still exist in products you use almost every day. But his career at P&G marked neither the beginning nor the end of inventive pursuits. Shortly after graduating high school, Phil, like many young men his age, served in the US Military. He was assigned to the Army Dental Corps based in Boston and trained as a dental assistant. There he modified delicate instruments used in dental surgeries, gaining the praise and favor of several senior officers. After his retirement from P&G, his wife Marilynn founded Valet Coffee, a mobile coffee and smoothie bar experience. Phil knew there had to be a better way to do mobile food and beverage service. He went about his fiddling, tinkering, and inventing path until he developed a full-sized, collapsible, counter-height, lightweight, mobile cart for transport, storage, and serving of food and beverages. He was awarded a patent on his unique design. Phil’s full life included many interests and hobbies. He loved to work on cars, at one time owning as many as 7 (of which one was almost always drivable). He enjoyed boating and water skiing; he prided himself on teaching dozens of people how to water-ski. He was an involved parishioner at Holy Cross for many years, serving on the Parish Council. He founded the neighborhood watch in Latonia. Phil was an avid golfer, never limiting himself to the regulation number of clubs to carry, his golf bag weighed a metric ton. He was a member at Fort Mitchell Country Club. He enjoyed movies, books, and photography. He even built a full film developing darkroom in his basement. He was preceded in death by his father, Paul Ritter, Jr., mother Mable, and his best friend and brother, Paul III. He is survived by his siblings, Patricia Perkins (Dave), Peggy Knipper (Phil), Phyllis Berry, Pamala, and Perry, his wife, Marilynn, son, Nicholas (Cara), granddaughters,  Sloan and Hayden, and many beloved nieces and nephews. A reception celebrating Phil will be at the St. Barbara Sterling Center at 11:00AM Saturday, February 19. In lieu of flowers, a memorial can be sent to The Giving Fund (www.giving fund.com), or the Susan Wolff Scholarship c/o St. Henry High School