Obituary for Lenards Ritums
Lenards Ritums was born on July 17, 1942 in Vainode, Latvia. At the age of 6, his family moved to Nova Odessa, Sao Paulo, Brazil after fleeing the occupying Soviet and Nazi armies during WWII. At the age of 22, he emigrated to Chicago, IL in search of better opportunities. Soon thereafter, he was drafted into the Army, and he was naturalized as a US citizen after serving a tour of duty in the Infantry.
He met Sylvia Dzidra Kalnins in the Latvian Baptist Church in Chicago, IL and they married in 1968. They had two sons, and afterward moved to Florida. There Len studied to become a private pilot and worked for some time for his brother-in-law’s import business. He flew many international trips and enjoyed taking his family on flying vacations.
In 1982, he moved his family to Houston, TX, where he became a small business owner and ran an AC & Refrigeration service company. Later in his career, he went oversees for months at a time to help build military bases to support American operations in Kosovo, and later at Bagram, Afghanistan. In retirement, they moved to Interlachen, FL where they purchased a house on a lake and Len enjoyed fishing and cooking. Len had a good sense of humor, and he loved and cared most about his family. Len was a devout Christian and a member of First Baptist Church of Interlachen. He was always willing to lend others a helping hand. His calm and friendly presence will be greatly missed by his friends and surviving family members.
Len passed away on July 22, 2020, several days after his 78th birthday and a month after his 52nd wedding anniversary. He is survived by his wife Sylvia and son Dainis of Interlachen, FL, and by his son Dwight and daughter-in-law Anita of Torrance, CA.
He met Sylvia Dzidra Kalnins in the Latvian Baptist Church in Chicago, IL and they married in 1968. They had two sons, and afterward moved to Florida. There Len studied to become a private pilot and worked for some time for his brother-in-law’s import business. He flew many international trips and enjoyed taking his family on flying vacations.
In 1982, he moved his family to Houston, TX, where he became a small business owner and ran an AC & Refrigeration service company. Later in his career, he went oversees for months at a time to help build military bases to support American operations in Kosovo, and later at Bagram, Afghanistan. In retirement, they moved to Interlachen, FL where they purchased a house on a lake and Len enjoyed fishing and cooking. Len had a good sense of humor, and he loved and cared most about his family. Len was a devout Christian and a member of First Baptist Church of Interlachen. He was always willing to lend others a helping hand. His calm and friendly presence will be greatly missed by his friends and surviving family members.
Len passed away on July 22, 2020, several days after his 78th birthday and a month after his 52nd wedding anniversary. He is survived by his wife Sylvia and son Dainis of Interlachen, FL, and by his son Dwight and daughter-in-law Anita of Torrance, CA.