Ann DeRitter Somes

Ann DeRitter Somes, 98, passed away peacefully at home in Mystic Islands (Little Egg Harbor), NJ on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. She was born Anna May Hall on September 11, 1921 in Greenport, Long Island, NY to Raymond and Esther Hall. The family lived in Paterson, and then moved to Hawthorne, NJ where she attended Lincoln Elementary and graduated Hawthorne High School in 1938.

As an RN (Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing), Ann’s career included Pediatrics at Mountainside Hospital, assisting an oral surgeon, Clifton High School nurse, and Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation. Ann was also successful in the direct selling industry with her sons for more than thirty years.

Ann married Ed DeRitter in 1943 just months before he left for 3 years to serve in the Pacific during World War II. Upon returning and starting their family, they lived in Totowa, Paterson (Riverside) and Hawthorne before moving to Little Egg Harbor in 1974. Ed passed away in 1985. Years later, Ann met Horace Somes at church. They were wed in 1994 and enjoyed a wonderful marriage until Horace’s passing in 2003.

Ann was an active member of Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal) in Tuckerton for more than four decades and particularly enjoyed the annual Blueberry Festival and other fundraisers. She was also active in the Garden Club.

While she loved the peace of her home on the water in Mystic, she also enjoyed an extended annual Christmas trip to California - well into her 90s - to visit her sons and their families..

Ann is predeceased by her sister and brother, Emily and Raymond Hall; her husband of 42 years, Ed DeRitter Sr., and her 2nd husband, Horace Somes.

She is survived by her brother, Charles of Wayne, her sons Ed DeRitter Jr. and wife Brita of California and Gary DeRitter of California and former daughter-in-law Laurel DeRitter of Las Vegas.

She was blessed with 6 grandchildren: Ed’s children, Lisa and Amy DeRitter (Florida), Mara DeRitter (and Miguel Toro) (Spain), Adam (and Jennifer) DeRitter (California); and Gary’s children, Emilie DeRitter (and Jorge Leal) (California) and Jeffrey (and Danielle) DeRitter (Las Vegas); 5 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandson.

She is also survived by Horace Somes’ sons, Horace (and Barbara) Somes and Frank (and Mandy) Somes and their families. 

A Memorial will be held on Sunday June 21, 2020 from 10:30am-12:30pm with a Service at 12pm at Maxwell Funeral Home 160 Mathistown Rd Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087. We are operating at 25% occupancy capacity as per NJ executive order. Staff will be there to assist.

The Memorial Service at 12pm will also be Livestreamed through Zoom. Meeting ID: 475 406 0767 Password: 6092966060

Please give the Funeral Home a call with any questions.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to: Church of the Holy Spirit 220 E. Main Street P.O. Box 174 Tuckerton, NJ 08087