Rodney L. Ritter 1939 - 2011

I have been putting this off for a week now. I can not put it off any longer. I need to put my feelings down as words on a page to help verbalize how I felt about my Uncle Rod. I have a million stories and memories of my Uncle. First let me say that Rod was my mothers brother and only sibling. From when I was in high school to now I have felt that Rod was more like a older brother than an uncle. I was living in Ceres California during most of those years we always made trips together when he would come up from LA to visit like San Francisco, Sornora, Stockton destination did not matter since we both loved the road trip. He had allot of influence in my life like Western wear, Pick-Up trucks and county music. He was the best man at my first wedding and he attended my wedding with my present wife. He also attended my high school graduation at Ceres High School.I have always looked up to Rod and I would like to think he helped shape the person that I am today. I am thinking back to the last trip we made which was to Oatman Arizona to see the Burros. It was a great trip. We stopped at a local hotel casino on the way up RailRoad Pass Hotel Casino to have breakfast. There was a waitress that was flirting big time with Rod and Everyone who knows my uncle he was flirting right back. Let me take these final sentences to describe Rod he was a real life Sam Malone (Cheers) spending hours to do his hair and had a 1968 California Special Mustang (no Vet) that was his chick magnet. There was his two favorite songs with he thought summed him up first one Mac Davis - Its hard to be humble and second Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville. I am listening to both song as I write this, helping turn my tears to a smile. I have more to say about my Favorite uncle, brother, best man, Father, great grandfather. I know he is now united with his sister and both of his parents. Uncle Rod will live in my heart now and forever. Below are a couple of photos from that trip was well as a video.

Uncle Rodney loving Oatman and the Burros

Uncle Rod wanted his picture with the Route 66 sign.