Rita Regina Buffum

Rita was born to the late Pamphile and Agnes (Beauregard) Girouard on December 26, 1942, in Marlborough, NH. She grew up in Marlborough with her older sister Anna and twin sister Anita. She was a 1960 graduate of Marlborough High School.

Rita married the love of her life, Gordon F. Buffum, Jr. at the Sacred Heart Church in Marlborough, NH on August 27, 1966. They had four children, Stephen, Susan, Brenda and Pamela.

Rita worked for Peerless Insurance Company in Keene, NH, before starting her family. While raising her family, she worked with her twin sister at Anita Girouard’s Bookkeeping Services. She went on to work and retired from the National Grange Mutual Insurance Company in Keene.

She was a devote parishioner of St. Bernard Parish in Keene. She lived her life as a testament to her faith. She enjoyed and mastered decorating cakes for her family. She was also a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast.

She especially enjoyed time spent with her children and grandchildren.

Rita was a resident of Keene until her diagnosis of dementia required her to move to Edmunds, Washington to be with her daughter Pamela and son-in-law Kais, until her journey to eternal life.

She is survived by her daughters, Susan A. Waters and her husband, August “Dan” Waters, Sr., of Keene, Brenda J. Buffum and her longtime boyfriend, Christian Lambert of Keene, Pamela S. Buffum and her husband, Kais Ben Abdallah, of Seattle, WA; her grandchildren, Christa Gentley, Megan Macie, Daniel Waters, August Waters, Jr., Skye Waters, Jade Waters, Deirdra Grotton, Mackenna Buffum, Lawyer Lambert, Elizabeth Reed, Reanna Parker; and eleven great-grandchildren. Her husband of 46 years, Gordon F. Buffum died on July 25, 2013. Her son Stephen and her sisters predeceased her.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in St. Bernard Church followed by committal prayers in the St. Joseph Cemetery, Keene, at a date and time to be announced.