Annette McRitchie

Annette McRitchie, beloved daughter of David Garrick McRitchie and Dorothy Glassford McRitchie, passed away on July 7, 2025, in Conway, New Hampshire, of natural causes. She was born on May 26, 1953, in Franklin, Ohio. Annette graduated from Dover-Sherborn High School in Dover, Massachusetts, in 1971 and earned a degree in Spanish from the University of South Carolina in 1975. She later made her home in the Mount Washington Valley, a place she deeply loved and embraced for much of her life. An avid outdoorswoman, Annette found great joy in gardening, hiking, and long-distance running. She spent countless hours nurturing her perennial and annual flower gardens and shared this love of nature with her loving son, Jesse, hoping to pass along her passion. In 1995, she proudly earned second place in the WMWV Garden Trail Contest for her home flower garden. Annette’s deep affection for the White Mountains led her to summit many of its peaks, including numerous ascents of Mount Washington. Of all her hikes, the Alpine Garden held a special place in her heart. She was often accompanied on local trails by her beloved Blue Merle Collies, King and Pheonix. In the late 1970s, Annette briefly pursued rock climbing and completed several climbs on White Horse and Cathedral Ledge with a trusted friend and experienced climber. But it was running that ultimately became her lifelong passion. As a member of the White Mountain Milers, she participated in numerous road races and trained regularly, often seen running local roads in the warm summer evenings. She proudly completed the grueling Mount Washington Road Race—an 8-mile uphill challenge—twice in the early 1990s. Annette was predeceased by her parents, David Garrick McRitchie Jr. and Dorothy G. McRitchie; and her sisters, Alice McRitchie Wyndham and Susan McRitchie Witte. She is survived by her son, Jesse Dean; her brother, David Garrick McRitchie; her sister, Kathleen McRitchie Orvin; and many loving nieces and nephews.