Florence L. (Lampe) Ritzer

West Brookfield - Florence Lillian (Lampe) Ritzer, 93 years young, was born April 14, 1927 in Jersey City, N.J.  She eventually made her home in West Brookfield, MA.

A founding member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, she was a woman of great faith.

She loved being a homemaker, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  Her saying was “My children are my sun, their children stars and flowers.”  Family was always her passion and priority.

 After working as an LPN for many years, she went back to school and obtained her Master’s Degree in Education.  She then worked as a case manager at Belchertown State School up until her retirement.  

She enjoyed painting, gardening, music, reading, watching the birds, being outdoors, traveling, sending text messages, indulging in Richardson’s Candy, attending all the church and craft fairs that she could find, dinning out especially if crab cakes were on the menu, and her parakeet Chirpy.  She was always ready for an adventure, from white water rafting in Alaska to snorkeling in Mexico and camping in Maine. Recently saying, “This dying is a new experience.”

Florence is survived by five children, Carol, Susan, Henry, Edward, and Paul; nine grandchildren, Alicia, Robert, Paul Jr., Zachary, William, Joshua, Lukas, Gabrielle, Anabella; and two great-grandchildren Daniel and Oliver.

She was predeceased by an infant son Bobby who was always in her heart, all of her siblings, three sisters and three brothers, most recently Kenneth Lampe.  She was proud of the fact she lived longer than any of her family members and challenged her children to do even better.

She passed peacefully at home on December 22 with loving family members by her side.

“I pray thoughts of me are gentle to you.”

She will be dearly missed.

Funeral Services for Florence will be held privately.  Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in West Brookfield.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 345 Main Street, Sturbridge MA 01566, the American Heart Association, 300 5th Avenue, Waltham MA 02451 or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City OK 73123.

Varnum Funeral Home, Inc., 43 E. Main Street in West Brookfield is assisting her family with arrangements.

An online guest book is available at varnumfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Florence L. (Lampe) Ritzer, please visit our floral store.