James Van Cleve Ritchie Fontaine

James Van Cleve Ritchie Fontaine died on Saturday, November 7, 2020, following surgery for an aortic dissection. Jim was born in Elkin on January 6, 1948 to Blanche Hudson Ritchie and Ralph Van Cleve Ritchie. After the death of his father when Jim was a young boy, his family moved to his mother’s hometown of Raleigh. When Jim’s mother remarried a few years later, Jim and his sisters were adopted by his stepfather, Emmett Williamson Fontaine.

Jim attended Myrtle Underwood Elementary School and Daniels Middle School. He was a 1966 graduate of Broughton High School where he was senior class president and a 1971 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. During his high school and college years, he worked as a counselor at Camp Sea Gull, where he had also been a camper.

Jim went on to earn a master’s in education from UNC-Chapel Hill, a master's in counseling from NC State and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology. Jim practiced clinical psychology for fifteen years. He changed careers and founded Leadership Resources, where he married his psychology skills with a passion for consulting businesses on creating effective leadership teams and working with individual executives to help them realize their full potential. Jim loved his work and his clients, and he found great value in the many meaningful relationships he formed through the years.

Jim is survived by his wife, Frances Gilliam Fontaine; his daughter, Anna Lindsay Brooks-Fontaine, and Frances’ children, James Carlyle Dempsey and Elizabeth Dempsey Merritt and her husband John Douglas Merritt, Jr., whom he loved as his own. Jim was the very proud grandfather of Jack, George and William Merritt, who will miss his gentleness and kindness.

Jim also is survived by his three sisters, Margaret Fontaine King (Peggy) and her husband Bruce Fonville King (Bunky) of Raleigh and Oriental, Bettie Fontaine Thompson of Cary, and Mary Hudson Fontaine and her husband James Andrew Burruss of Nantucket, his niece Fontaine Burruss and her husband Thomas Natwick of Raleigh, and his great niece Annelise Natwick.

Jim loved his family and his friends, and he was lucky to have many of both. Many of Jim’s friendships were made over a lifetime of playing tennis, his favorite pastime. Jim never missed a chance to play a match, hit balls, attend a clinic or take a lesson, even taking a small traveling net on summer vacations to the beach so he could play in the driveway with his grandsons. If there are tennis courts in heaven, Jim has found them.

Jim grew up attending White Memorial Presbyterian Church and joined St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in his later years. At St. Michael’s he served on a Discernment Committee and as a board member of the Holy Michael Foundation.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jim’s memory may be made to the Holy Michael Foundation, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury Road, Raleigh, NC 27608.

A family service will be held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, November 12th, live streaming will begin at 2:00 pm through, https://www.facebook.com/St-Michaels-Episcopal-Church-112778177579 . Private burial will be in the church columbarium.

Arrangements are by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory, 300 Saint Mary's Street Raleigh, NC 27605.