Rita Louise Howard
Richford – Rita Louise Howard a lifelong area resident passed away unexpectedly Friday, April 3, 2020, at her home she shared with her sister, and caregiver, Angie, to whom we are forever grateful.
Born in St. Albans on January 19, 1951, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Rose Marie (Smith) Hemond and step-daughter of the late Lynwood West. Rita was 69 years old.
Rita was a graduate of Richford High School and a parishioner at All Saints Catholic Church. Over the years she had worked at IBM, Union Carbide, Champlain Cable, and Peerless Clothing.
Her sons, William Howard and his fiancé, Jill Blackbird of St. Albans, Joseph Howard of Swanton, and her grandsons, Brandon Howard and Dakota Nichols, survive Rita.
She is also survived by her brothers: Edward “Bud” Hemond and his wife, Vicki, of Swanton; Paul Hemond and his wife, Judy, of Richford; and Richard West and his wife, Kristi, of Cape Coral, Florida. Her sisters: Angie Paquette and her husband, Ronnie, of Richford and Darlene Gregoire and her husband, Mark, of Richford; as well as her brother-in-law, Gilbert Tremblay of Swanton and several loved nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, Rita was pre-deceased by her sister, and best friend, Marie Tremblay on September 18, 2017. We know their reunion was beautiful.
Rita was a very loving; caring, thoughtful, and selfless person who put others needs before her own. She did not have a mean bone in her body, and was one of the nicest, kindest people you would ever meet. Rita never wanted anyone making a fuss over her; a simple, warm and hearty hug would mean the world to her, which brought on her smile that would light up a room. Her smile and laugh were contagious, and her giggle endearing. She was a woman of few words however; she was quick-witted and had a tremendous sense of humor –even during the most difficult times.
The simplest things made Rita happy; like a car ride on country roads with a trip down Memory Lane, family pet Calvin, Chinese food, the baby goats at Boston Post Dairy, and recent news of Bill and Jill’s engagement. Most of all “Grammie” loved spending time with all of her family, and especially enjoyed the time spent with her grandson, Brandon.
Due to the current affairs in our country, a Mass of Christian Burial and interment will be announced at a later time by the Heald Funeral Home of St. Albans.
To send Rita’s family a message of condolence or share a memory, kindly go to her online guestbook at www.healdfuneralhome.com.
