Deborah R. Ritter

Deborah Ruth Ritter, of Louisville, age 61, passed away on August 10, 2023.  She was a graduate of Greeley Central High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Debbie was born in Queens, New York City on May 25, 1962, and moved with her family to Greeley in 1978.  She met her husband Rick while attending CU and they married on October 6, 1984.   They moved into their house in Louisville in 1992 and spent more than 30 years making it their home inside and out.  Debbie worked for the City of Boulder as a Transportation Engineer for 30 years before retiring in 2016.

Debbie is survived by her husband Rick, their daughter Alyssa of Louisville, and their son Brent and his wife Amanda of Broomfield.  She is also survived by her sister Peggy, nieces Merideth & Caroline, her sister Christine, nieces Gianna & Samantha and her brother Nick and his wife Tami.  She was preceded in death by her father Nicholas in 2014 and her mother Delores in 2016.

Debbie loved everything about family.  Her other hobbies include gardening, needlepoint, cooking and enjoying good food.  She also enjoyed traveling abroad to experience the diverse history, culture and food of various countries, especially Italy and Germany, the birth countries of her grandparents, as well as spending time on a beach next to the ocean.  Debbie loved holidays that involved family gatherings, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving because they included her family’s traditional meals.  She was always excited to celebrate and exchange gifts and have an excuse to make favorite chocolate cake.  She enjoyed periods of quiet solitude, anything that made her laugh and had a unique ability to find beauty and fun every day. Debbie will be remembered for always having kind and encouraging words, her quiet strength, and her numerous professional and personal contributions to all around her.

A Celebration of Life will take place at Horan & McConaty on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 1:00 pm followed by a reception in their facility located at 7577 West 80th Avenue in Arvada, Colorado, 80003.  

Donations to the Society of Women Engineers Fund at CU Boulder in lieu of flowers would be greatly appreciated.  Please use the following link for donations and make sure to make the gift in memory of Debbie Ritter and allow them to notify next of kin:

https://giving.cu.edu/Ritter