GROTON, SD – Rory Allen McKittrick, 61, unexpectedly passed away in his home on June 1, 2024.

Rory was a devoted son and brother, a loving father, adored uncle to many nieces and nephews, and a gushing grandfather to his granddaughter Brooke and newest grandson, Cooper. While many people gain their identity through work, Rory’s identity was truly rooted in these roles and it was here that that he showed what a wonderful and kind man he was.

Rory would describe himself as an introvert, but there was no person he could not hold a riveting conversation with. While Rory had many talents, the gift of conversation and making people feel valued were two of his best. He could hold a conversation with anyone, about anything, and his many life adventures ensured each conversation would be injected with a great story (somehow Bruce Springsteen, baseball, hunting, or fishing would often be part of those stories).

Rory was born September 4, 1962, to Roger & Luetta (Gooding) McKittrick. He grew up with three brothers, Randy, Lonnie, and Wade, whom he loved unconditionally. Over the years, Rory loved watching their families grow and spending time with each of them. After high school, Rory accepted a scholarship at Northern State University to play baseball and study business administration/ computer science. He loved to learn and therefore poured himself into his studies. When not attending class, studying, or supervising the computer lab, he could be found training on and off the baseball field. Rory was a humble but talented pitcher for the Northern State Wolves. He led the Wolves in E.R.A, strikeouts, and was an all-district selection in 1983. Rory’s baseball career carried over to a brief stint with the Atlanta Braves single A minor league team. His passion for sports, exercising, and being active continued throughout his life. His family jokes that over the past few years his “coffee group” were the people at the local gym that he exercised with and spent time shooting the bull with in the sauna.

After making the decision to leave baseball, he pursued and received his master’s in business administration at the University of South Dakota. His career evolved from a store manager into the world of technology. He began as an entry level programmer and eventually rose into a variety of management positions where he led and motivated members of his teams in the development of complex logistical and coding algorithms. The communicator and leader in Rory truly shined in these positions.

Rory’s greatest passions, however, were his family and caring for those around him. After his youngest son Connor left for college, Rory moved to Sartell, Minnesota, to be closer to his brothers and father, Roger. This proved to be one of the best changes in Rory’s life. He integrated into the Sartell community, befriending all he met and making large impressions on the lives of those around him. Rory adored spending time with his brother Wade & his family on the water fishing and spending evenings at the cabin. He was known as “Uncle Woory” by his grandnephews, Bennet and Will. Rory looked forward to unprompted visits for burgers and movie nights out with his dad and organizing trips to concerts and shows with his mother Luetta. Many evenings were also spent discussing all aspects of life with his older brother Randy. Of course, in each of these events, countless stories of his granddaughter Brooke were the frequent topic of conversation. Rory truly loved his family!

After Rory’s passing, his family saw firsthand how beloved a member of the Sartell community he truly was. One only need to stop at his favorite spot to eat in town, The Blue Line, to hear heartfelt stories of how Rory was always a friendly face and so full of interesting stories he couldn’t wait to share. He was equally loved by his neighbors who considered Rory extended family. He made lasting impressions by attending college sporting events, dog sitting, and being a friend for anyone around him. The phrase, “The world would be such a better place if there were more Rory’s in it”, was something his family was told numerous times in the week since his passing. Rory was a genuine man, with many talents, who displayed unparalleled kindness to all. He will be missed, more than words can describe.

His memory, smile, and laugh will survive through his two sons, Chase (Jordan) and Connor (Amanda), two beloved grandchildren Brooke & Cooper, mother Luetta, father Roger, brothers Randy (Lisa) and Wade (Cindy), sister-in-law Kris (Lonnie), and his many beloved nieces and nephews, Brandi, Megan, Deres, Kayla, Hayden, Morgan, Austin, Parker, and Nick.

Rory is preceded in death by his brother, Lonnie McKittrick, paternal grandparents, Glen and Mildred (Sigdestad) McKittrick, maternal grandparents, William Harold and Geraldine (Smith) Gooding, and stepmother Dorothy McKittrick.

A celebration of life will be held at Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel in Groton, South Dakota, on June 29th, at 10:00 am. The family welcomes all of Rory’s friends to attend a celebration of his life, to share stories and honor the great man and storyteller he was. The family is establishing a memorial college baseball scholarship at Northern State University in Rory’s honor to sustain his legacy.

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