Alvina “Vi” Ritter, ahead of her time

Alvina Helen "Vi" (Sarknas) Ritter died Saturday, Aug. 5, in Rehoboth Beach, spending her final days surrounded by her family, which always brightened her days. She was born Dec. 16, 1920, in Arnold, Pa., near Pittsburgh. She was 96.

She was a born engineer whose talent first appeared at age 6, when she began creating doll clothes on her mother's sewing machine. Always ahead of her time, she would continue on that path, taking apart the sewing machine and later electronic equipment to see how it worked, eventually helping all her friends program their VCRs.

Despite being denied an opportunity to go to college, she attended business school. Her ability quickly led to work for the War Department during World War II, where her duties included tracking ordnance shipped around the world. She later worked as a medical secretary and still later at Fox Chapel High School in Pittsburgh, where she was known for her sense of humor and her ability to recall the name of every student she met.

Vi was also a very talented pianist and loved music all her life. She learned to drive as a teenager in the 1930s, and soon drove the family car to the opera in downtown Pittsburgh, launching a lifelong love of opera that would take her to Italy and across Europe. Her love of the art world didn't stop there. She was also an accomplished artist whose works included numerous paintings as well as intricate needlepoint. An avid knitter, she searched out beautiful yarns to knit in complex patterns, producing dozens of "Ritter Knit" sweaters.

Vi was an excellent cook; she was famous for her chili, and her legendary apple and pumpkin pies. She continued to host Thanksgiving dinners in her home until her eyesight finally forced her to stop.

Vi loved Pittsburgh, where she lived until 2012, when she moved to Rehoboth Beach to be closer to her family, residing at Brandywine at Seaside Pointe. Vi was the daughter of Frank and Isabella (Gidjunas) Sarknas. She was devoted to her family all her life, sadly outliving her husband, Marvin Ritter, who died in 1984. She also suffered the loss of her son, Jon Alan Ritter of Lebanon, Pa., who died in 1995, and her daughter, Gretchen Elizabeth Ritter, who died in 1997, as well as her son-in-law, Daniel Platte, who died in 2011.

She is survived by granddaughters Abigail Mary Ritter and fiance Davon Pulliam of Baltimore, and Karen Allison Ritter of Seattle; and daughter-in-law Laura Ritter of Rehoboth Beach.

Also surviving are her brother, Francis Joseph Sarknas of Gibsonia, Pa.; nephews David Sarknas, wife Clare and their children Megan, Carly and Colin, all of Gibsonia, and Paul Sarknas of Pittsburgh; and niece Laura Sarknas Romeo and her daughter Samantha Romeo of Pittsburgh.

A celebration of life will take place at a later date in her hometown of Pittsburgh. Instead of flowers, Vi would suggest making a scholarship contribution to Girls who Code or to the Center for Education of Women, or taking a family member out for a good martini. She always did love a good martini.