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WEBSTER, New York — It’s summertime in Webster, New York. Lake Ontario laps gently at the shore, flowers bloom in vibrant colors, and towering trees sway in the breeze above a lodge that now bears the name of a fallen hero.
Just a few miles from this peaceful memorial, Jon Ritter throws a tennis ball across his backyard while his son Jamieson’s two dogs chase after it.
“So we do this twice a day,” Jon says. “Sometimes three times.”
Bandit and Otis. They were Jamieson’s dogs before they became Jon’s daily companions. Six months ago, when we first visited this same yard, the trees were bare. The routine was the same.
Seasons change; some things don’t.
“Going to sleep is difficult. I wake up all night. I start my morning off thinking about him and my night thinking of him,” Karen Ritter explains. “It doesn’t go away. He was my son, and he was murdered.”
Karen’s words hang in the summer air as we approach July 4 — one year since Officer Jamieson Ritter was shot and killed while responding to a call in Cleveland.
When asked if it feels like a year has passed, Jon shakes his head.
“To me, it does not,” he says. “I mean, it seems like it was yesterday almost. I expect a phone call. I expect to see him there. I have a lot of expectations, obviously, we’ll never have again.”
Time stands still for the Ritters. So does the pain.
“The pain and the suffering just does not go away at all,” Karen says. “You lose a child unnecessarily, and that stays with you day in and day out, 24/7.”
“I don’t think there’s been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought of him,” Jon adds.
But grief hasn’t stopped them from moving. This year, Karen did something extraordinary: She rode 300 miles with the Police Unity Tour, a grueling journey for families of fallen officers.
“When I learned of the Police Unity Tour and found out that people from Cleveland would be riding for my son, I was going to ride for him too,” she says.
For 300 miles, she looked for signs that Jamieson was with her.
“I made the last two days, and I spent a lot of time talking to Jamieson on those two days.”
They’ve traveled to Cleveland to accept posthumous awards recognizing Jamieson’s service. They’ve attended charity games held in his honor. They keep showing up, even when showing up hurts.
Back at Webster Park this past May, hundreds gathered for the dedication of the Jamieson Ritter Memorial Lodge. Police officers stood alongside neighbors who never knew him but felt compelled to honor his sacrifice.
“We can never fully replace Jamieson’s sacrifice, but we can honor him by ensuring future generations know the story behind Jamieson and his extraordinary life of service,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello.
For Jon and Karen, it’s about preserving who Jamieson was beyond the badge.
“So what we’re doing now is we are just picking up where our son Jamieson left off,” Jon told the crowd.
They remember a young officer whose heart belonged to his family.
“He would call me when he got home from work, you know, and we would have lengthy conversations as he was taking care of his dogs and when he got home from work and just getting ready to go to bed so he can go back to work,” Jon recalls.
“He was just gentle and caring and supportive,” Karen adds, her voice soft with memory. “I mean, he happened to be my go-to.”
Through the Jamieson Ritter Foundation, they’ve established their mission: Keeping alive the values their son embodied. This year, they awarded their first scholarship. It’s more than just financial aid; it’s about carrying forward his legacy.
“His love for life and his desire to genuinely nurture and take care of people. He did that without even thinking twice,” Karen explains. “He became a police officer to make a difference. He had a heart and an innate desire to serve and protect.”
Their message is simple, but powerful: “Take a piece of Jamieson with you wherever you go.”
In his childhood home and throughout his town, memories of Jamieson live on — not just in monuments and ceremonies, but in the daily acts of devotion that continue in his name.
When healing seems impossible, love is what remains.
“What I want is for people to never forget him ever, no matter how many days, weeks, months, or years go by,” Karen says.
To learn more about the Jamieson Ritter Foundation, click HERE.
Have a story idea for Heartstrings? Email to: Heartstrings@wkyc.com.
In addition to Lindsay’s “Heartstrings” reports in our newscasts, you can also watch her series streaming on WKYC+ at 3 p.m. every Wednesday. If you don’t have WKYC+, you can download it on your TV and watch for free.