Patsy H. Ritterhouse
Patsy H. Ritterhouse, 80, passed away on Sunday March 19, 2023, in Webster, Texas.
She was born on May 21, 1942, in Hartselle, Alabama, to William Herman Vest and Ruby Estelle Wallace Vest.
Patsy is survived by her husband, Charles Lee Ritterhouse; daughter, Jennifer Lynn Ritterhouse and son-in-law Walter Paul Labys; daughter-in-law MeLesa Garrett Ritterhouse and spouse Jeffrey Patrick Buchanan; sisters, Ruthie Alyine Keenum, Peggy Appleton, Sandra Roden and spouse James Roden; brother, James Malcolm (Mac) Vest and spouse Evon Vest; grandchildren, Sophia Jane Labys and Stephen Henry Labys; and numerous family members and friends.
She is preceded in death by her Parents, William Herman and Ruby Estelle Wallace Vest; Son, Scott David Ritterhouse; Sisters, Imogene Hensley, Dorothy Smith; Brothers, William Copeland Vest and David Wendell Vest.
Patsy graduated from Danville High School in 1960. Upon graduation, she participated in a job fair and was immediately hired by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, in Huntsville, Alabama due to her exceptional typing skills. She and her husband Charles met through mutual friends at the agency before Charles transferred in 1963 to the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (later to become the Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas. They married in Hartselle, Alabama, on February 15, 1964, and Patsy transferred to the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center as well. She worked there until her oldest child was born and resumed her career after her youngest child left for college, earning many awards and promotions for her dedicated service. One award included an invitation to watch a space shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Prior to her retirement in 2012, Patsy was a Management Analyst supporting senior managers both at Johnson Space Center and NASA Headquarters as they responded to formal requests from the Office of Inspector General. She was able to perform this sensitive and sometimes controversial responsibility while maintaining the respect and admiration of those she supported.
Patsy had a passion for gardening, baking, and maintaining ties to distant and even nearby friends and family through frequent letters and cards. She was dedicated to Taylor Lake Christian Church, where she served as volunteer church secretary for many years and was an elder.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 11:00 am CDT at Taylor Lake Christian Church, 1730 Old Kirby Road Seabrook, Texas.
In lieu of flowers those wishing to make a memorial donation in Patsy’s memory may do so to Interfaith Caring Ministries, 151 Park Avenue, League City, Texas 77573.
Dear Charles and family, Your beloved Pat was such a pillar of Taylor Lake Christian Church. She was much loved and much admired by all who knew her. She could be found sending notes and cards to church members, leading in Christian Women’s Fellowship, planting flowers in the church flower beds, baking cookies and brownies (or some other delicious dessert!) as well as making Communion bread for worship, and assisting Senior Ministers when they needed guidance! She did it all…and with such grace! Always one to make light of her struggle with her health (“this too shall pass”), she was a dedicated and devoted family member of TLCC. She will be missed.
My sincerest condolences and sympathies to you, Charles, and Jennifer and Missy and family.
Charles, I could repeat everything Madella said to you in her note to you yesterday. She was indeed a pillar of Taylor Lake Christian Church. My heart is broken with the news of Pat’s passing. I loved everything about her. She was good at everything she did. We will sorely miss this wonderful person. This is a beautiful picture of her.
Love
Dear Charlie, Jennifer, Missy and all your family,
Pat was such a special person, good at everything she did, and a wonderful friend. Each time I returned to Taylor Lake Christian Church for a visit Pat was always there to give me a hug. I will miss seeing her sweet smile and feeling the warmth of her friendship, always there to laugh with me or to cry with me. You are all in my prayers during this difficult time.
Love,
Ann Fulcher
Charlie, I am sorry for your loss.
Mark
So sorry to just hear about Pat’s passing. I have so many good memories of her when we lived in Shoreacres.
My name is Paul Romine. I was friends with, and grew up alongside, the Ritterhouse kids, Scott and Jennifer. With the recent passing of my father, I was thinking back on all the important people in my life and realized that I never added a memorial for Mrs. Ritterhouse at the time of her passing.
My family (mom-Annette and brother-David) attended Taylor Lake Christian Church (TLCC) along with the Ritterhouse family dating back to 1976. Over that time, Mr. and Mrs. Ritterhouse became like a second set of parents watching over all of us TLCC kids and guiding us into adulthood. Mrs. Ritterhouse was truly like a second mother to my brother and me, and I wanted the Ritterhouse family to know how much you all meant to us. Many of the happiest times of my life involved the Ritterhouse family in some way, either through TLCC activities like scheduled workdays, youth group activities and other extracurricular activities over the years.
After Scott graduated from Texas A&M University and started his professional life down here in the NASA JSC community, he purchased a small house in LaPorte that became the central hangout to all of us crazy ruffian friends either still in college and home for a visit or recently graduated and working along with Scott. I recall, Mr. and Mrs. Ritterhouse came around often to help check on things and just hang out or have a cookout. One of my most vivid memories is of seeing Mrs. Ritterhouse come in prior to one of our regular get-togethers with a load of cleaning supplies to make sure Scott’s bathrooms and the rest of the house were presentable! Always a caring mother!
I miss Scott and Mrs. Ritterhouse to this day, and I always will. Both were such an important part of our lives and I thought the world of them.