Unfortunately I have to break this sad news to you. Bill Ritger passed away this evening shortly before 7:00.
Services are pending and will be posted as soon as possible.
In lieu of flowers donations are suggested to Rainbow Hospice (rainbowhospicecare.org) or the Red Flag Fund.
Rest in peace good buddy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Claudia.
Thanks, Gordy.
I always appreciated Bill's smile at the track and they way he would welcome people in. He was always patient and never got upset when I would walk to the tower and ask, "Where is 996?"
Thank you, Bill. May you rest in piece and save a spot for us in heaven when it's our time to join you.
Dawn Buxton
RIP Bill.
You will be greatly missed Bill...
I'm sorry it came so soon, but thankful you were surrounded by people who love you.
Bill, you touched so many lives and will be sorely missed. I'm grateful for getting to know you better through the Red Flag Fund. You fought the good fight. Rest now in the arms of God.
Claudia, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Rest in Peace in Heaven. I will pray for your family on Sunday at Church. I met you once at Barbers Motorsports, you truly are a gentleman. Like Garth Brooks says "I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss The Dance". I am so glad I did not miss The Dance. We are all here to help out if your family needs it!!! God Bless :wah:
Sorry to hear this news, I did not know him, but I know he was well loved.
Bill, I will miss you and never forget the fun we've all had as a crew at the track. Claudia, your racing family is here for you and your family. Don't hesitate to call. You are again in my prayers.
Grant
R.I.P. Bill. You left us way too soon.
My condolences to Claudia & the families.
Farewell Bill, we'll miss you. (https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.picturepuppy.com%2Fimages%2Fsuzymarie%2F7.gif&hash=b8705506beb22093bf827ec8a99843825091219f)
Claudia, I hope you find strength in our thoughts for you and your family.
Sadly, this was inevitable. It's good that his suffering is finished.
Bill was a brother, father, mentor, and friend to so many of us. He gave his all to this sport as few have, but in such a different way. For the most part, racing is a very selfish endevor, but Bill was as far from selfish as a man could be. His skill was getting the most from people, and he did it by showing them respect and love. The guy could really make you feel good about yourself.
Bill, you touched so many lives. We all owe you so much. The times we've shared seem far too few, now that they're over. If the afterlife truely does bring eternal reward to the deserving, then I know right now you're enjoying a beer and a tale next to a smokey campfire as you savor a job well done. Hold us a spot on the grid, bro. We'll be with you again soon enough.
Damn it! I've had this feeling of dread all evening.
RIP Bill, I don't know what else to say.
Gordy or Chris, please post up the info when you get it. A couple of us from the Fox Valley would like to come down to pay our respects.
Rest in peace Bill.
So sad to hear this news. . .
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhome.comcast.net%2F%7Ersinisi%2Frip.gif&hash=9b02e403f130ccbc4cfecbb82b44245efd27c67a)
Quote from: Jeff on January 10, 2007, 10:30:14 PM
You will be greatly missed Bill...
I'm sorry it came so soon, but thankful you were surrounded by people who love you.
+1
Suzy, where's that great picture of Bill?
Anyone have a nice picture of Bill and Claudia?
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.picturepuppy.com%2Fimages%2Fsuzymarie%2Fbillritger.jpg&hash=e458c75e8d400685db9817f806136636038b50a3)
I am so sorry to see him leave us. He was a really great guy, I really liked him. It was always good to shake his hand. I offer my condolences to Claudia, who is also a great person. You guys really brought a lot to all you did at the tracks and it showed. Hope to see you again someday, Claudia.
Bill's self-written bio from the Red Flag Fund.
Bill Ritger, Director, Red Flag Fund Inc.
Bill started riding motorcycles in 1972. In 1989, while a member of the Wisconsin BMW club, a co-member, Cindi Singer talked him into helping out with a CCS road race ad Road America. He was hooked.
Bill became Tower Observer for the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of CCS in 1995. This included duties at Daytona International Speedway. In 1997 he inherited the job of Race Control and has had that job ever since. He also works as Safety Director for CCS races at Daytona.
The Midwest Safety Crew was created in 2000. As President of the club, Bill has tried to make racing safer for all. Bill hopes to contribute more to the sport by serving on the Red Flag Fund board of directors.
Bill was a rock and foundation here in the Midwest. Bill, we love you, we'll miss you. Words will never be able to express how much you meant to all of us.
i got a call about this thismorning. sad day for sure. he will, without question, be missed.
I wish I had met him... I am sure I saw him in passing but was never blessed enough to have shook his hand. The words expressed by so many on this forum are a true testament to him as a person, the more I read the more I feel I knew him...
Good bye Bill, Rest in peace
Claudia my family's thoughts and prayers are with you.
RIP Bill
As much as we all knew that this day would come, it still doesn't seem possible.
I truely feel honored that I have gotten a chance to know and to be able to call Bill and Claudia friends.
The proper track safety etiquette that Bill instilled in me and so many others can never be replaced. Even though he was instumental in running formal safety courses, we all learned so much more by his every day lead at the track in the best way to keep racing safe.
Coordinating accident response in a way that provided the quickest medical and cornerworker attention was always his goal for downed riders as well as keeping safe those riders still racing as they came up on an incident.
Bill made it safe for everyone and at at the same time fun when the proper opportunity arose.
Goodbye my friend. I'll do my best to always say "Crimson" and if I should slip memories of you will be certain to follow.
Rick Weaver
RIP Bill, you will be greatly missed.
A couple pictures
Godspeed Bill. Terrible news for all. Prayers with Claudia and everyone. Bill is going to be missed for sure.
I didn't know the guy, but he sounds like a great person from the way people talk about him, which is what we leave behind when we're gone and that's what counts. RIP.
I will hunt around some more, because I know I have one of the two of them at last year's banquet.
Give me more time and I will come up better pictures
Godspeed Bill! Prayers for Claudia and her family.
I am So sorry to hear this unfortunate news. Bill was really a great guy. I met him at the track (of course) when he offered to keep my son Brandon busy for awhile when I had to change tires on my bike. They became good friends after that and my son still talks about how nice he was to him. God Bless! #498 Big RoNny
:wah:
Very sorry to hear this. I'm not sure I met him in person, but I still feel a connection to anyone involved with racing in the middle of the country.
Godspeed...
Godspeed to a great person I never had the opportunity to meet.
:wah: :wah: indeed!
Bill, we will miss your always happy smile and all of the tasty beers you were allways so willing to share! We have all lost so much!
Godspeed!
You will be missed, RIP
I didn't press her for full details, but word from Clauda is that the services will be held next Saturday, which should really work out well for folks travelling to the banquet. Do you think Bill planned it that way? He always was an expert at multi tasking....
I'd almost feel like that last comment was in poor taste, but Bill also posessed an outstanding sense of humor, and I'm sure he'd LOVE the irony and convenience of it all!
Damn I miss him.
I spoke with Claudia today and the memorial services for Bill are Jan. 20 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 413 S. 2nd St, Watertown Wi. 53094. Visitation 10:30 - 11:30, service at 11:30. Yeah I miss him too. David
Times like these, ya gotta wonder what the good Lord is thinking...
Things will never be quite the same.
Godspeed, Bill... you were an absolute class act and one of a kind. My heart goes out to Claudia and their family.
Quote from: KBOlsen on January 11, 2007, 08:22:44 PM
Times like these, ya gotta wonder what the good Lord is thinking...
Things will never be quite the same.
Godspeed, Bill... you were an absolute class act and one of a kind. My heart goes out to Claudia and their family.
You guys are really making me tear up as I read all the wonderful posts about Bill. I know how much the safety crew meant to him, and I am so lucky to have shared this pasttime with him. Some of you I know, some of you I don't. But I know that Bill and Claudia touched people everywhere they went. They are the coolest people I've ever known, and I am lucky enough to be related to them.
I hope to meet more of you at the funeral. We have collected over $500 for Claudia so far, and most of those donations have come from this forum. I know that I had fun working with you guys at the races, I can't imagine what Claudia and Bill have felt having you all as friends.
I did so much crying and had so much anger after I saw him in his last days in his bed, but now I know that he is somewhere better and looking upon all of us. It makes me feel warm and better to know he's not suffering. It was the absolute worst thing I've ever seen to see him in his bed at home. But this is the first tragedy in my family... we have been lucky enough to not have any deaths so far. Why it had to start with him, I don't know. But now I know I have someone to pray to, to talk to and to guide me through the rest of my life. Bill is a fantastic person and I think he will be a great guide for me, my husband and my children. I will never ever forget him. I idolize and envy what him and Claudia have had and will base my marriage on what I have seen and adored of those two. They are a prime example of a soul mate, best friend and confidant.
Man, I love them. I will continue to have good times with Claudia because she defintely has a special place in my heart as my mother's sister... but Claudia and Bill together were nothing like I've ever seen. What spirit they had, what a bond they had, how beautiful their relationship was. They were the best of friends and I have never, ever seen them fight in my 29 years of life.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I've idolized them. To me, they are the coolest people on earth. Why the hell did they have to take Bill? It's just so not fair. It happened so fast that the only words we were able to speak to each other were "I love you". I thank God for that, but what I would give to be able to sit with Bill for an hour or two and tell him all of the things I've wanted to tell him. He has had such a huge impact on my life. What a great role model.
For all of you who have worked with him, had beers with him and have memories with him... we all know how lucky we are to have known him.
It's such a sad time. A good guy has been taken by such a nasty disease. Damn cancer, damn it.
I hope this gives everyone motivation to donate to cancer causes. Cancer picks out no one. It can strike the healthiest person. In fact, I have a 29 year old girlfriend who has colon cancer... 4th stage. Can you believe it? She doesn't even have that run in her family! Nor is she the age range for this type of cancer.
Cancer freakin' Sucks.
God I miss Bill. I will forever cherish those last moments I had with him. He kissed my 4 month old baby, he kissed me, and he told us he loved us.
The saddest thing I've ever had to deal with.
Bill was so great.
Thanks for listening to me. Damn.
I took this post of chaplain to offer encouragement and comfort to all of you, and here again, I find myself speechless and inspired by the love and support freely given by all of you to Bill's family and as a testimony of a life that has touched so many others. From track to forum, you are some of the finest folks I will ever walk along side of in this life. To kelly and Bills many friends I offer you this...For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18. Death marks the starting grid, not the checkered flag. Art.
Thanks, Art.
RIP
You will be missed by all of us...
Although I never met him, the way everyone here is writing of him and their memories, I fell that it is my loss.
Rest in Peace. As long as he is remembered and spoken of, he will never truly be gone.
AS a newbie generally i havent heard the K3's, spydies etc speak so highly , my donation is to a motorcyclist who lived for motorcycyclists all his life!------------------ to his family, recognize his fellow fellow followers - GIGANTIC LOVE - ADMIRATION peace to him that i never new till now! john in NJ
Wow! Bill is gone. That is a hard pill to swallow. I heard the news on www.roadracingworld.com, Jan. 10. I could not do anything on Thursday but grieve. I first met Bill and Claudia in about 1990 when they joined the Daytona 200 Safety Crew to cornerwork the races. I was the safety director and looking for talent. Riding to the spedway on their bikes, They were always on time and ready to go, with smiles on! We could always count on both to be captains. Soon they graduated to the control tower to assist in the operations there. Claudia went from assistant starter to being the starter! They took that experience back to Wisconsin and formed the heart of the Midwest Safety Crew, along with some other fantastic people you know. Bill took my place as the Formula USA National Safety Director, and was on top of the game! We had some good times, every time.
I was driving home Wed. nite, looking at a beautiful starry nite on I-70 west to Hagerstown, Md. , I saw a SHOOTING STAR and made a wish. It was spectacular! Later that night I read Gorde's post on RRW.com and it hit me hard..... then I realized the shooting star was at the same time as Bill's passing!....Godspeed Bill, going out on a shooting star!
To Claudia, Kelly, and the whole family, God Bless You, be strong and cherish the memories. Bill will always be in your heart and your smile.
Love and Peace,
Roger Lyle
R.I.P. Bill. He will be greatly missed. He truely was a great man with a heart of gold. We are truely sorry for your loss Claudia. You will always be in our prayers. With lots of love and respect, Erick McCormick and Jennifer Grube
It's so hard to read all these posts.
Bill was a class act. He had our respect and gratitude and will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
To all of you that have visited, written or otherwise contacted us regarding Bill's tough battle we cannot tell you how much this has meant to our family. It has done so much to know that so many people have been touched by Bill and to hear how those touched appreciated Bill's love for the sport and helping people. This has been a very tough time for our family and we have been helped tremendously by all of the support shown through this forum. To this we can only say THANK YOU and please don't forget Bill and his quest for safety. We also ask that you keep giving Claudia support as we are sure you will.
May your track always remain green and your corners be clear, staffed and ready.
Bob & Ellen Ritger (Brother and Sister In-law)
Mary Ritger (Mother).
(please note, I'm not throwing this out as any type of a plug or anything, just want to state it since not everyone was at the MW banquet)
The Red Flag Fund is in the process of purchasing a section of airfence for use at Blackhawk Farms in memory of Bill.
The idea really came after a few conversations with Dave Rosno about opportunities to buy fence. We then spoke with the track and have the wheels in motion.
If you're interested in doing the same, I guess Dave would be a good start for info, and/or the track itself...
Bill will continue to keep his MW racers safe for years to come!
Claudia, Bob, Ellen & Mary, it has been an absolute honor to have known and shared my life with Bill.
LET US NOT BE SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF BILL, BUT BE HAPPY THAT HE SUFFERS, NO MORE. I REMEMBER BILL FULL OF LIFE & SMILES.
I REMEMBER HIS INVOVLEMENT IN MOTORCYCLES APPEARED TO BE ENDLESS. THE PURE JOY OF RIDING, RACING OR WORKING IN SOME FORM OF MOTORCYCLING BROUGHT BILL EXTREME PLEASURE.
HIS CONSISTANT DEVOTION TO HIS WORK, WHETHER IT WAS BUSINESS OR PLEASURE, WAS ADMIRED & APPRECIATED. HIS ACCOMMODATING WAYS & THOUGHTFULL TRAITS TOWARDS HIS FRIENDS BROUGHT SIMPLICITY THAT WOULD EASE YOUR MIND.
ALTHOUGH LIFES EVERYDAY CHALLANGES MAY HAVE KEPT ME FROM SPENDING MORE TIME WITH BILL, I TRUELY ENJOYED THE TIME I DID HAVE.
THROUGH OUR MEMORIES HE WILL LIVE. THROUGH OUR EDUCATION OF CANCER & THE TECHNOLOGY OF POSSIBLE CURES, WE WILL LEARN. THROUGH TIME, OUR PAIN WILL LESSEN & MAY OTHERS BE HEALED.
MAY BILL LIVE ON, IN ALL OF YOU AS HE CERTAINLY WILL, WITH ME.
BY GRANT LAWSON
01/19/07