Katheryn Linehan Ritchie passed away peacefully on Monday, January 3, 2022.

Katheryn was born July 21, 1946 to Kathryn and Thomas Linehan of Oil City, PA.

She is survived by her husband Michael D. Ritchie, daughters Rebecca Ritchie Brower (Peter Brower) and Sarah Katheryn Gentile (John R. Gentile, Jr.), 4 grandchildren, sister Jeanne Linehan, brother John Linehan (Sue Kennedy), sister Mary Christine Linehan, 19 nieces and nephews, and many more great and great-great nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by sister Judy Kervin, brother Thomas Linehan, granddaughter Keira Brower, nephew James Davis and niece Julie Davis.

On August 15, 1970, Kathy married Michael D. Ritchie, also of Oil City. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2020.

Kathy graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock College in 1968.

She earned her master’s in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1969.

She taught at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and then the New York School for the Deaf from 1969 to 1976.

From 1979 to 1985 she focused her efforts on early education in the Port Chester School District, at the Whitby Montessori School in Greenwich, CT and then as a consultant to the Port Chester Council for the Arts.

Raising their two young daughters during the day and going to law school at night, Kathy earned her Juris Doctor from Pace University Law School in 1988.

She went on to have a 20 year law career.

She started as a Court Attorney in the Westchester County Attorney’s Office.

From 1990 to 1995, she was the Senior Court Attorney for the Hon. Kathryn A McDonald, Chief Justice of the New York City Family Court.

From there, she became an Associate Court Attorney, writing decisions for Family Court Judges in the Bronx Family Court and the Westchester Supreme Court, and from 2001 to 2010, in the Westchester County Family Court.

No decision she wrote was ever overturned.

From 2001 to 2007, she also served three terms as an Associate Justice in the Village of Port Chester, presiding over a full, regular calendar of cases.

While she served as judge in Port Chester, she also was appointed Treasurer, then Secretary, and finally Vice President of the Westchester County Magistrates’ Association.

Kathy will be remembered as a passionate advocate for all that was fair, just and equal who lived her life with humanity, compassion, and deep caring for others.

Of all of Kathy’s titles and accomplishments, the role of her lifetime was “Mimi” to her grandchildren Zachary, Ava, Keira, Tessa and Sebastian.

It was the highlight and ultimate joy of her life to enjoy every precious moment with her “grands”.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to Robert’s Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The Ritchie family worked with the expert research team at Boston Children’s Hospital after they lost granddaughter Keira Brower to SIDS in 2013.

Memorial donations can be made by going to www.childrenshospital.org/robertsprogram or clicking directly on Kathy Ritchie Memorial Donation.

Or mail checks, payable to Boston Children’s Hospital, to Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, 401 Park Drive, Suite 602, Boston, MA 02215-5301.

Please include Kathy’s name in the memo line.

Kathy’s family finds great comfort knowing that Mimi is now listening to music, baking her famous breads and taking long walks with Keira by her side.

Due to COVID, the family will plan a celebration of her life to be held at a future date.

Online condolences can be shared by visiting www.craftmemorialhome.com.