Rita Nader Johns McCarthy
Went to be with the Lord on June 24, Sterling Heights, Michigan, age 101.
Born April 16, 1918 in Windsor, Canada, to John and Anna (nee Karam) Nader, Rita became a citizen of the United States when her father was naturalized in Detroit in 1928. She was married June 7, 1941, to Frederick Anthony Johns aka Marieb. After his death she was married November 7, 1987 to Richard George McCarthy, who also preceded her in death.
Rita grew up in the Greektown area of Detroit in a lively Lebanese household. She met her future husband in the Young Lebanese Club. They and their five children were active members of St. Cecilia Parish in Detroit and later St. Valentine Parish in Redford Township. Rita was loved by everyone. She believed in the benefit of hard work, the strength of the family bond, and the power of prayer. As her extraordinary family expanded throughout the USA, Rita kept in touch with emails, social media, and FaceTime, relishing her contacts and family ties. She never missed an opportunity to laugh, was a fabulous cook, spoke her mind and loved widely with her whole heart.
She is survived by five children who admired her fortitude and loved her dearly: Dr. Michael (Trina) Johns of Atlanta, GA; Frederick (Barbara) Johns of Palm Desert, CA; Aneesa (Ben) Vitale of Shelby Township, MI; Nancy (George) Amar of Kalamazoo, MI; and Dr. Roger Johns of Reistertown, MD. Also surviving is stepdaughter Elizabeth (Don) Gehan of Hartland MI and stepdaughter-in-law Marie McCarthy. Fourteen grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren also survive. She was preceded in death by five brothers, three sisters, granddaughter Courtney Johns, daughter-in-law Dr. Lisa Kolp, beloved wife of Dr. Roger Johns and stepsons Frances and Michael McCarthy.
Services will be held on Monday, July 1, at Pixley Funeral Home, 322 W. University Drive, Rochester. Friends may call from 10AM – 12 PM prior to the Service at 12 Noon. Interment will be at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Southfield Michigan.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial contribution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), or the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA.
