During
World War II, Ritchie lied about his age and joined the
British Royal Navy. He sold kindling door-to-door, giving his mother most of his earnings to help with family expenses. Ritchie farmed in Scotland and eventually moved to
County Fermanagh,
Northern Ireland where he married Maud Armstrong and had their first child. In 1952, Ritchie left aboard the ship
Empress of Canada and settled in
Winnipeg there they had their second child. He held numerous jobs, all in agriculture except for a short time at Trans Canada Airlines and as a
real estate agent. His career took him back and forth between
Manitoba and
British Columbia. Eventually, Ritchie moved to Burnaby British Columbia there they had their third and fourth child and earning the position of General Sales Manager At Buckerfields Feed, he eventually moved to Abbotsford British Columbia and partnered with Dave Smith and formed "Ritchie-Smith Feeds Ltd." ==Political career==