Gotthold Ritter, 88, of Sycamore, IL died Sunday, February 28, 2021 at his home.

He was born December 6, 1932 in Germany. He was the son of Gottfried and Maria Ritter.  He married Traute G. Fiedrowitz on Oct. 29, 1955. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, and one of his grandsons Jonathan Michael Ritter.

Gotthold (Opa), was a post-WWII German immigrant, who loved the greatness of America and its motto of "In God We Trust". So he set out to make a new life with his fiancé from Germany, initially emigrating from Germany to Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada) to find employment and establish a home for his bride Traute. Gotthold and his wife eventually moved to Windsor, Ontario for further employment and to begin building their family, which included the births of two sons, Gottfried and Bernhard. Employment opportunities eventually brought the family to Chicago, where their third son Martin was born. There, as German immigrants, Gotthold and his family connected and immersed themselves in church life within a fellowship of Christian believers (German Baptist Mission Church) consisting of other immigrant Germans. His love of the church was a result of his own deep personal relationship with Christ, which was the foundation and basis of everything else that he and his wife pursued, including career and family.

During his career, he was employed by a variety of companies throughout that time, primarily working as an automotive electrical engineer, using his dual-language capabilities and his hard-won educational accomplishments. He sacrificed many career advancements because of his priorities to serve Christ and his family. Activities would include building models with his boys, back-yard ice rinks because of he and his family's love for hockey, raising German shepherd dogs, and going camping as a family.

He is survived by his wife of over 65 years, Traute, their children Gottfried "Eric" (Nancy), Bernhard "Ben" (Suzie), Martin "Marty" (Mary), his grandchildren: Jeff (Katy), Josh (Shelley), Sarah (Dave) Lewis, Luke (Kelly), Hannah (Dalton) Underwood, Timothy, Elizabeth, Matthew (Katie), and Jacob; his great-grandchildren: Cameron, Lily, Knox, Noah, Austin, Liam, Hailey, Leeland, Evelyn, and Caleb.

A memorial service will be held in the Cornerstone Christian Academy Gymnasium (Kishwaukee Bible Church) on Sunday at 3:00 pm, with a time to express your thoughts and greetings to the family prior to the service between 2:00 and 3:00 pm. COVID-19 recommended practices will be followed and distance seating provided. Cornerstone Christian Academy is located at 355 N Cross St, Sycamore, IL.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to: Kishwaukee Bible Church (201 W State St, Sycamore, IL 60178), or, Samaritan's Purse (P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607).

To sign the online guest book or share a special memory, go to www.butalafuneralhomes.com