George G. Ritchie

Dr. George G. Ritchie, M.D. (25 September 1923 – 29 October 2007) held positions as president of the Richmond Academy of General Practice; chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of Towers Hospital;Ritchie, G. and Sherrill, E., "Return from Tomorrow", 1978, back cover.] and founder and president of the Universal Youth Corps, Inc. for almost 20 years. In 1967, he entered private psychiatry practice in Richmond and in 1983, moved to Anniston, Alabama, to serve as head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center. He returned to Richmond in 1986 to continue in private practice until retirement in 1992. [ [http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/obituaries/newsobituaries.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-10-31-0107.html Richmond Times-Dispatch obituary] , October 31, 2007. Accessed 2007-12-18.]

Near-death experience

At the age of twenty, George Ritchie apparently died in an army hospital and was pronounced dead twice by the doctor on duty. [Ritchie, G. "Ordered to return: my life after dying", 1998, pp. 24-25.] Nine minutes later he returned to life. Dr. Ritchie wrote of his near-death experience (NDE) in "Return from Tomorrow", co-written with Elizabeth Sherrill (1978). In "Return from Tomorrow", he tells of his out-of-body experience, [Ritchie, G. and Sherrill, E. (1978), op. cit., pp. 36-46.] his meeting with Jesus Christ, [Ritchie, G. and Sherrill, E. (1978), op. cit., pp. 47-55.] and his travel with Christ through different dimensions of time and space. [Ritchie, G. and Sherrill, E. (1978), op. cit., pp. 55-74.] "Return from Tomorrow" has been translated into nine languages. [Ritchie, G. (1998), op. cit., back cover.]

Ritchie's story was the first contact Dr. Raymond Moody, PhD had with NDEs, during his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the University of Virginia. This led Moody to investigate over 150 cases of NDEs in his book "Life After Life" [Ritchie, G. and Sherrill, E. (1978), op. cit., pp. 9-10.] and two other books that followed.

Passing

Dr. Ritchie died on Monday October 29, 2007 at his home in Irvington, Virginia, following a courageous battle with cancer.

References

Bibliography

* George G. Ritchie and Elizabeth Sherrill, "Return from Tomorrow". Old Tappan, NJ: F.H. Revell, 1978. ISBN 0-80078412-X.
* George G. Ritchie, "Ordered to return: my life after dying". Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-57174096-1.

External links

* [http://www.annistonstar.com/obituaries/2007/as-deaths-1031-0-7j30s4557.htm#5 Obituary] , Anniston Star, October 31, 2007. Accessed 2007-12-18.
* [http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/obituaries/newsobituaries.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-10-31-0107.html Obituary] , Richmond Times-Dispatch , October 31, 2007. Accessed 2007-12-18.
* [http://www.fbc-sav.org/book_reviews/ Book review of "Return from Tomorrow"] by Joan Fulcher, April 19, 2002. Accessed 2007-12-18.
* [http://www.near-death.com/ritch.html Heaven and Hell: Dr. George Ritchie's near-death experience] . Accessed 2007-12-18.
* [http://www.art-rageous.net/MiracleatEaster.html "Miracle at Easter"] by Sharon Barrett Kennedy: the story of a healing miracle "foretold by the Lord" to George Ritchie. Accessed 2007-12-18.