Ann Ritter Johnston, of Needham, MA, formerly a longtime resident of Wellesley, passed away June 12, 2024 at the age of 85. Ann was born in Memphis, TN on November 17, 1938 to parents Harry Raymond Ritter and Margaret Emrich Ritter. She grew up in Marked Tree, AR and attended Marked Tree High School where she was the lead clarinetist in the marching band. She completed high school at The Hockaday School in Dallas, TX. Ann graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1960, where she was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. After graduation, she briefly taught English and Spanish in Kennett, MO before attending graduate school at the American Institute for Foreign Trade (Thunderbird) in Arizona where she took business courses in Spanish.
Ann left Arizona and moved to New York City to work for Chase Manhattan Bank. She met George Johnston in New York and they were married on September 12, 1964. They lived on East 51th Street in Manhattan until moving to Montclair, NJ. From there, Ann and George found their way to Wellesley, MA, where they raised their daughter, spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard.
After the move to Massachusetts, Ann wore many hats, becoming involved with Junior League of Boston and the Boston Intercollegiate Alumnae Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma where she held many offices and attended several national conventions. She also served as troop leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Socially, she and George were members of the Wellesley Country Club and, formerly, the Wellesley Assemblies, a formal dinner and dancing club. Ann enjoyed playing golf until she took a strong interest in bridge, earning enough points to attain Life Master status, an achievement she was very proud of. She enjoyed traveling with her husband, friends, and family, especially her grandchildren. Ann was an avid reader and took some classes, for fun, to pursue interests in painting, furniture upholstery and miniatures, making a lot of her own miniature furniture and other decorative items.
Ann was predeceased by her parents, her younger brother, Harry, and her younger sister, Margaret. She is survived by her husband, George, her sister, Jane Clawson, her daughter, Margaret (Johnston) Boyes, her son-in-law, Peter Boyes and her grandchildren, Paige and Ryan Boyes, as well as nieces, nephews and many cousins.
A service for Ann will be held at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington Street, on Saturday, July 27, at 4:00pm, followed by a memorial celebration at The Wellesley Country Club, 300 Wellesley Avenue, from 5:30–7:30pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or any charity of your choice.