Rita Murielle Oostendorp

JUNE 7, 1943 – APRIL 21, 2021

On Wednesday April 21, 2021, Mrs. Rita Murielle Oostendorp (Beaulieu) of Edmonton, Alberta passed away peacefully at the age of 77 at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital after a spirited battle with cancer.

Rita was born on June 7, 1943 in Grand Falls, New Brunswick where she grew up with her three siblings before moving to Ottawa, Ontario to attend the University of Ottawa, where she met her husband, Albert. They would marry in September 1965 and enjoy 55 years of marriage until Albert’s death on November 18, 2020. She is survived by her children Eric Anthony “Tony” and Michael Rene; her two grandsons Tyler and Wyatt, and her sister, Aline (Bernard) Cyr. She was predeceased by her parents Rene W. and Laura (Desjardins) Beaulieu, and her brothers Robert (Cecille) and Adrien (Azilda) Beaulieu.

Beyond the love of her family, Rita’s life passion revolved around the arts. Rita taught and sold her two favorite artistic mediums, ceramics and fibre arts, for nearly fourty years in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta. Rita’s award winning fibre art, often revolving around nature and colour, were once included in a travelling exhibition for the Edmonton Art Gallery and have been proudly displayed at the Alberta Craft Council downtown Edmonton gallery for many years.

The family would like to thank relatives and friends for their outpouring of support and well wishes and ask for donations in her name be made to the Alberta Craft Council in lieu of flowers. The family would also like to thank the amazing staff of Unit 43 at the Grey Nuns Hospital for the care they provided Rita during the last two months of her life.