Rita May Holley

Rita May Holley, aged 94, recently of Sunrise Senior’s Home, passed away peacefully on Friday May 27, 2016 after a short stay in Royal Jubilee Hospital. Rita was born in Toronto Ontario, June, 1921, to George and Mary Manson (Cahill), the fourth of their five children - George, Margaret, Basil and Jean all pre-deceased.

Rita worked as a bookkeeper for Burroughs Business Machines and was always proud of her early business career.

In February of 1946 Rita married the love of her life Ernest George Holley (deceased – 1986) and over the course of their 40 years together they built a rich and happy life in Thunder Bay (Port Arthur) Ontario. Rita and Ernie were well known in the Lakehead sailing community, at the Mount Baldy Ski club, on Mackenzie Beach and as involved and active members of the Corpus Christi parish.

Rita was a tireless volunteer and contributed 25 years of service to the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital.

In retirement Rita and Ernie pursued many great adventures together, they sailed the Inland Passage to Florida and cruised the Bahama Islands, a multi- year venture aboard their boat Wild Rose. And a few years later they spent a number of years in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, when Ernie worked for the Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA.

In 1987, after the passing of her husband, Rita moved to Victoria to be closer to her children and embarked on the next chapter of her life. Rita loved Victoria and quickly made new friends through her memberships in the Newcomers Club, Curves, and the various lawn bowling, bridge and book clubs she joined and as always, volunteering. Rita volunteered every week for 17 years at St Andrew’s soup kitchen.

Rita was a much beloved mother and is survived by her 4 children, Michael Holley (Toronto, Ontario), John & Ute Holley (Mission, BC), Heather Holley & David Bruce (Sooke, BC) and Tim & Pam Holley (Vancouver, BC). She was a proud grandmother to 7 grandsons – Kristian Larson & Maysa Tsang (Quadra Island), Andrew Larson & Jazzmine Rawn (Victoria), Peter Holley (Vancouver), Patrick & Kate Holley (Langley, BC), David Holley & Karley McInnis (Vancouver), Marc Holley & Danielle (Vancouver) & Matthew Holley (Vancouver) and doting great grandmother to Harris and Leena Larson.

Rita is also survived by extended family in Toronto, Ontario.

A funeral mass in Rita’s honour will be held at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Victoria on Saturday June 4, 2016 at 11:30 am. A reception will follow at Sunrise Senior’s Home, 920 Humboldt Street Victoria.

Heartfelt thanks to all the staff at Sunrise who made Mom’s last year and a half so happy.

Rita was a positive and generous spirit in life, she approached everyone with an open heart, in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Our Place Society in her honour.

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