Sophia Ritenour
Sophia McLeod Zea Ritenour, 93, of Shalimar, Florida and formerly of Strasburg, VA, passed away peacefully at her home on April 5, 2025.
Born in Winchester, Virginia on November 22, 1931, Sophia was the daughter of Mary Frances Millner Zea and Frank Edward Zea of Strasburg, Virginia. Her maternal grandparents were Sophia Coffman Millner and Walter Dearing Millner. Her paternal grandparents were Hattye McLeod Zea and Frank McCord Zea.
Sophia and her beloved husband, John Douglas Ritenour, were married on June 15, 1957, in the Strasburg Presbyterian Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, who died in 2012 and her son, John Edward Ritenour who died in 2023.
She is lovingly remembered and survived by her children and their families: her late son John Edward Ritenour’s widow Susan and their children James Clayton Cranmer and his wife, Araceli and Sarah Christine Ritenour; Kate Zea Ritenour Sverkounova, her husband Chris and their children Matthew Ritenour, Irina Sverkounova and Alexandra Sverkounova; Mary Beth Ritenour Mills, her husband Scott and their children Amy Zea Mills and her daughter Eleanor Zea Reeves, John James Mills and his wife Alexsis and their daughter Mabel Renee Mills; Samuel Scott Mills and Hannah Christine Mills; James Robert Ritenour, and his wife Jody and their children James Robert Ritenour, Jr. and Marion Zea Ritenour.
Sophia is also survived by her sister, Sally McCord Zea Cromelin, along with many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members whose lives she touched with warmth and affection.
Her faith was an important part of her life, and she was blessed to have several church families; Gravel Springs Lutheran Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church and Shalimar Methodist Church. Through these church families, she formed enduring friendships grounded in faith and creating bonds that filled her heart with joy.
She graduated from Strasburg High School in 1948. She attended Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs, North Carolina for two years, then attended Westhampton College of the University of Richmond, where she graduated in 1952. She concluded her graduate studies in 1985 at the University of West Florida.
Sophia had a lifelong passion for learning and teaching. Her career in education spanned decades and many locations shaped by her husband’s military assignments. From her first classroom in Suffolk, Virginia, to her final years teaching at Longwood Elementary in Shalimar. She inspired generations of students through education with her patience, wisdom, and kindness. She found true joy in shaping young minds and inspiring a love for learning in every student she taught.
Sophia’s legacy is one of love, faith, wisdom, patience, and service. She leaves behind a family strengthened by her example and a community enriched by her spirit.
A graveside service for Mrs. Ritenour will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Riverview Cemetery followed by a celebration of life service at Gravel Springs Lutheran Church, Star Tannery, VA at 11:00 a.m. and will be officiated by Rev. Sonya Williams-Giersch.
The family will receive friends at Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Strasburg, VA Friday, April 11, 2025, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of memorial contributions to Compassion Cupboard, P.O. Box 611, Strasburg, VA 22657.
You may submit your condolences to the family at www.stoverfuneralhome.com.
Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Strasburg, VA is honored to serve the family of Sophia Zea Ritenour.
