Richard “Rich” Ptacin, 88, of Roswell, Georgia passed away on August 10, 2026. Rich was born on June 5, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the late Frank and Cornelia Ptacin. Rich attended Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee and went on to build a career as a chemical engineer with E.I. DuPont. He and the love of his life, Sheila moved to Chattanooga with DuPont and expanded their family to four children, Rich Jr, Julie, Suzanne and Abby.

Rich's greatest passions were the people he loved, his Catholic faith and Chicago sports. Rich found many ways to put that faith into action as an active member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Chattanooga, TN for over 50 years. He sang with the Emmaus choir, served on the Parish council and was deeply involved at Notre Dame High School during the years his children attended the school.

Music brought Rich great joy. He was an enthusiastic singer and spent many years singing with the Choo Choo Chorus in Chattanooga. He continued this passion at St. George’s Village in Roswell where he sang with the Villagers Chorus and helped organize a quartet group. He will further be remembered for his devotion to family, his sense of humor and his gift for storytelling.

He will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 63 years, Sheila (Egan) Ptacin; his children, Richard (Diane) Ptacin Jr. of Seattle, Washington, Julie (Keith) Dixon of Woodstock, Georgia, Suzanne (Tom) Nuccio of Franklin, Tennessee, and Abigail Casey of Nashville, Tennessee; 7 grandchildren and many friends.

A funeral mass to honor the life of Rich Ptacin will be celebrated at 3:00 pm on September 12, 2026, with visitation prior to the mass at 2:30 pm, both to be held at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A reception to follow the conclusion of the service at the Parish Life Center. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Parish Children’s Library Fund or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis Tennessee, in Rich’s memory.