Kevin Ritten
My Dad was the one who introduced me to the modelling hobby. When I was about 7 or 8, I happened to see my Dad working on a 1:144 scale model of a C-130 aircraft, and I thought it was pretty neat. I started out with snap-together aircraft and gradually worked up to more complicated models. It was a conglomeration of just about everything from a dune buggy to tanks, plastic ship models and WW II aircraft. My first sailing ship model was the yacht America in her Civil War Navy configuration. When I was 15, I received the Revell USS Constitution model for Christmas. I remember spending many an evening with a pair of tweezers in each hand working on the rigging for it.
After high school, my modelling took a short hiatus while I did a 6-year stint in the Navy as a Machinist’s Mate in the Nuclear Power Program. Shortly after getting out of the Navy, a job offer from Newport News Shipbuilding brought me here to the Hampton Roads area in 1984, and I’ve been here ever since. In 1993, I met my wife Dawn at the church I was attending and we were married in August of 1994. We have two sons, Ian (21) and Jon (18).
I had visited the Mariner’s Museum several times over the years but usually didn’t have time to stop and talk with any of the guys from HRSMS at the Modeler’s Stand. However, in March of 2016, I was there for the Battle of Hampton Roads weekend as a Civil War reenactor when I had a chance to meet Dave Baker. He invited me to one of the meetings and in July of 2016, I became a member. I have really enjoyed being a member of HRSMS. I have learned a lot from the monthly presentations and from just talking to everyone. Since joining HRSMS, I have even gotten into building wooden ship models and enjoy it immensely. My modelling skills have also improved. Modelling will continue to be a hobby that I enjoy for many years to come and when I retire from the shipyard, I look forward to volunteering my time in the Modeler’s Stand.