BY NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS & GILLIAN NESSLYN
KUCHING: More than 100 people, including family members, friends, and members of the media fraternity, gathered to bid a final farewell to veteran journalist James Alexander Ritchie.
His funeral service was held at the St Thomas Cathedral Multipurpose Hall here this morning (May 6).
In an emotional tribute, daughter Rebekah Dawn Ba’o Ritchie described her father as a larger-than-life figure who deeply valued human connection.
“He always brought me with him wherever he goes and he loved talking to people. Every time we took a Grab ride in Kuala Lumpur, he would chat with the driver from the moment we were picked up until we reached our destination.
“I often learned more about the driver than I ever expected, thanks to him,” she said.
Rebekah added that the house now feels empty without his presence.
“He would usually play his music, tap on his keyboard, and talk to people. He had so many plans in his hands,” she said.
The service concluded at 9.49 am, after which his casket was taken to Nirvana Memorial Park in Bau, where he was cremated and his remains placed there in accordance with his wife’s wishes.
James passed away last Saturday (May 6) at the age of 74.
He began his journalism career in 1971 as a 20-year-old trainee reporter at The Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur, where he developed a strong passion for crime reporting.
After nearly a decade in West Malaysia, he was appointed in the early 1980s as the New Straits Times’ first full-time reporter in Sarawak. He embraced the role with dedication, travelling extensively to highlight the often-overlooked stories of rural communities.
