His wife, June, along with their seven children Lori (Rand) Alquist, Paula (Wade) Whitlock, Jeff (Katie) Rittenhouse, Raph (Julie) Rittenhouse, Linda (Jim) Bergler, Peter (Cassie) Rittenhouse and Paul Rittenhouse, 27 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren came together to celebrate him.

He is very loved by his family and the greater North Dickinson community.

After graduating from Kingsford High School, he studied at Northern Michigan University and worked full-time.

He then served in the U.S. Navy as a radar and sonar technician and directed a base band at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, while studying at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Don Rittenhouse

Rittenhous later returned to Northern Michigan University to earn his master’s degree in music education, his true passion. He began his career in 1963 teaching for two years in Alpha, then moving on to Republic for a year. He found his permanent home at North Dickinson, where he taught band for 32 years.

His bands were well-known throughout the state for their excellence, consistently receiving top ratings in every state competition. They were also invited to perform at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Midwest Conference held in Ann Arbor in 1984 and again in 1994.

You can still hear him in the Dickinson County Area Band, where he has played since 1954.

He often served as the band director for both the DCAB and the Norway Band. He also directed church choirs through the years and taught at many band camps.

Rittenhous is still giving to the community by volunteering with the band at North Dickinson three days per week.

He has gained the respect of his peers for his accomplishments in music, but he would say that being loved by his family and students is by far the best mark of a successful life.