Dr. Felicitas Ritrosky's Obituary
Felicitas was born on July 24, 1929, in Popelkin, East Prussia, a region that later became part of Russia after World War II. As a young girl, she experienced the hardships of war firsthand. Near the end of the conflict, she narrowly escaped the advancing Eastern Front, making it onto one of the last trains to Lübeck, Germany with her mother and sister. Being forced to live with multiple families in a single-family residence after the war, she endured malnutrition, poverty and uncertainty. Even during those difficult years, Felicitas’s strength and determination were evident. She excelled in school and distinguished herself academically, mastering English in addition to her other studies. Her resilience and discipline during those early years would shape the remarkable life she later built. When her uncle sponsored the family’s immigration to the United States, Felicitas began a new chapter in Utica, NY. She entered Syracuse University shortly after arriving in America and graduated the top female in her class in 1956. She first pursued studies in accounting, but after experiencing unequal pay in the workplace, she decided to change course and pursue medicine. At a time when very few women were admitted to medical school, Felicitas was accepted to multiple medical schools and excelled. She graduated from Syracuse Medical School in 1960 and went on to complete her pediatric residency at SUNY in Syracuse. It was there that she met the love of her life, Dr. John Ritrosky, Jr.
Felicitas lived a life marked by curiosity, determination, and service to others. Early in her career she contributed to work on the polio vaccine, an achievement she was proud to have been part of during such a pivotal time in medical history. As a pediatrician in Fort Myers, she became known not only for her skill and compassion, but also for her courage—serving as one of the few physicians in the area willing to treat children with HIV/AIDS during the early years of the epidemic. Outside of medicine, Felicitas embraced life with energy and enthusiasm. She raised three children, all of whom went on to become physicians themselves, and she continued to seek adventure well into later life, including trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest in her early seventies.
Felicitas was known for her integrity, fairness, strong sense of purpose, and her deep love of family. Christmas was especially dear to her heart, and she made the holiday a joyful and treasured tradition for everyone around her. She also had simple pleasures that brought her happiness: butter, marzipan, and the beauty of the mountains. Two of her favorite places in the world were Nepal and Aspen, Colorado. She also had a lifelong love of dogs, especially German Shepherds, who were her loyal companions over the years. She was deeply grateful to the the United States, the country that gave her family a new beginning but always remained loyal and loving towards Germany.
Felicitas is survived by her beloved husband, Dr. John Ritrosky, Jr.; her three children,
John “Johnny” Ritrosky (Sandra), Steve Ritrosky (Zulay), and Susan Hill (Ashley); and four grandchildren, Devin Ritrosky, Dillon Ritrosky, Alex Hill, Sophia Hill. She was preceded in death by her father, Wilhem Hagen, and her mother, Herta Hagen, and her sister, Eva Perini.
Felicitas will be remembered for her resilience, her compassion as a physician, her devotion to her family, and the remarkable life she built after overcoming extraordinary hardship
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