Rita Rochelle Thornton

She was born on February 12, 1937 in Troup, Georgia to the late James and Dura Truitt.

Rita graduated from Ashley High School in Gastonia, NC and went on to receive her Masters in Nursing from NC Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in 1957. Her career was spent as a very gifted nurse with a “healing touch” and spent many years as the head nurse at a nursing home. A long time nurse friend said that "Rita was good at making people feel like they mattered"

She was most recently a member at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. Church involvement was a priority for Rita. She sung in the choir in years past, and was most recently involved with the seniors group.

In her spare time, Rita loved playing cards. She was involved with several bridge groups, and played hand and foot Canasta weekly with longtime family friends.

She and her family would go camping, hiking etc. a bunch when her children were small with multiple different families. Much of that was at Morrow Mountain State Park. Rita was very active. She was in a bowling league, loved square dancing, and until recently, she and her nursing classmates still got together at least once a year for a beach trip or lunch.

One of Rita's favorite places to vacation was their coastal home which was on the marsh on the mainland in Ocean Isle Beach. She used to spend hours looking for shells on the east end of the island, and had several jars and glass lamps full of the shells she collected.

Rita loved animals. She had several pets and spared no expense in caring for them. She enjoyed watching the wildlife in her backyard and always had bird feeders and hummingbird feeders scattered about.

Family was so important to Rita. She took great care of her parents in their later years (especially her mother after her dad had passed), and always cared for her own children; helping them when she could.

Rita lead a very active life, but her family will remember her most as loyal, merciful, thoughtful, caring, loving, compassionate, sincere, fun, tough(no-nonsense), and a faithful wife.

Family that survives Rita are her sons; Mark A. Thornton, and wife, Paula Crosland Thornton, Jon M. Thornton and wife, Julie Oden Thornton and Lee P. Thornton, grandchildren, Megan Thornton, Jenny Thornton and Matt Thornton.

She was predeceased by her husband, Richard J. Thornton.

Family asks that memorials be sent to Baptist’s on Mission disaster relief baptistsonmission.org or the Charlotte Humane Society humanesocietyofcharlotte.org.

Fond memories and messages for the family may be left at www.mcewenminthillchapel.com