Hello Diane. So good to hear your memories  :heart:. She adored you. And Our Aunt Alice, Uncle Jerry, Lorraine and Tommy. I remember growing up thinking  you were the most beautiful woman in the world.

Hi there Donna! Thank you for your constant visits, Barkley too! Mom absolutely loved your time with her. And so did we! You and Barkley became an instant part of our family and will always be remembered with happiness. Love you, Susie

Well said. She adored you and your family.

Rita Marcella (Zella) Walsh: a few Memories...

A Working Mom. Rita not only was the mother of 6, she worked outside the home - that wasn’t very common in the 1960’s. She ran a tight ship and had a strong ‘Zella’ work ethic. Every night she cooked a really big, fine dinner and if you didn’t like the food, too bad! Then, off to Kmart to work the night shift - while keeping a spotless house. The girls’ job was to help set the table, wash and dry the dishes. The boys…well they sat down after dinner to watch the Flintstones - Hey! no fair, lol. We all had chores though, no slacking allowed.

Her Pride. Our first house was in the working-class neighborhood of Redford. In the spring-time she liked to dress us up in our Sunday best for church. She curled the girl’s hair in pink spongy rollers on Saturday (bath) nights. I remember the 8 of us parading down the block to church - a mob of kids in stiff, shiny shoes and pastel finery. And oh boy, how the neighbors would smile and wave at her approvingly. The Mama Lion loved showing off her pride of 6 cubs. 

Camp Dearborn, Cat Glasses and Wigs. Summer’s highlight was the annual trip to Camp Dearborn with Mom’s awesome sister, Aunt Janice, the fun-loving Uncle Andy and all the great Antishin cousins. I still picture Aunt Janice and Mom wearing their pointy cat glasses and Mom’s wigs, them laughing at the picnic table. HA, those sisters looked so mod! Mom made 6 suitcases for us out of heavy beer boxes, painted them green and wrote our names  with a fat, black magic marker. We eventually stopped going to Camp Dearborn, but Mom’s green camp box with her swirly “Sheila” handwriting sat in my closets for 30 years, holding my favorite things.

Dreams of ‘Up-North’. Our parents wanted a cozy up-north home for the summertime, so she took a job selling Tupperware, eventually saving enough to buy 10 acres in the woods! We packed countless boxes of containers with ‘burp-able’ lids and helped her to fill those orders in the living room. We loved our up-north property, cooking over a camp fire, swimming in the frigid river and sleeping in tents! Umm, she didn’t like the tent part, nor thawing the drinking water for her coffee in late September. So, she doubled down on the Tupperware trade and became a top seller/trainer in Michigan; and bought a huge, doublewide trailer - with a bathroom! Yes, we were moving on up!  

Inspiring Love of Nature. My son, Paul (her first grandchild) spent the first 2 months of life up-north with her – she was cuddling him outside her house in the forest, when he raised his tiny head for the first time. We squealed with joy. Thus, she inspired a deep and enduring love of nature in her grandchildren. Paul learned to track animals and make fires; Jamie grew obsessed with fishing.  We loved that quiet, forest world that Mom made possible. 

Paul heard on Facebook that Grandma died, said he regretted not spending more time with her. He wants to go back to that up-north trailer home, set in deep in the northern woods. It was sold a long time ago. I don’t remember how to get there anymore.  Lots of un-named winding roads. Maybe we will look for it…

Rest in peace Mother and Grandmother.

Aunt Rita was a beautiful person, through and through, who brought so much love and happiness to others.  I, too, remember her full-throated joyful singing of “Down by the Bay” to our boys.  My condolences to the entire Walsh and extended family.  Heaven has definitely added an angel today.

Aunt Rita was the kindest Aunt a kid could ask for. Growing up I spent many  nights sleeping over with my cousins and was always loved by Aunt Rita. She took great care of me. She was kind, caring, and funny. Years later when Diane and I had young boys we would visit Aunt Rita and Uncle Jerry and she would sing "Down by the Bay" to them. I can still hear her voice. Rest in peace Aunt Rita, you will be missed. 
Tom Antishin

Thank you for allowing Barclay, the Yorkie therapy dog, and I to spend many hours with Rita at Trillium Woods.......she was an incredibly positive lady and we adored her. Her love for her daughters and grandkids was never ending and she was so proud of all of them. Our visits were always enjoyable as Barclay gladly sat on her lap while Rita and I chatted about all different kinds of life events. We send blessings of comfort and peace as you deal with your loss.
Donna and Barclay

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Rita Walsh

1 juillet 1933 – 27 novembre 2018

Cook Funeral and Cremation Services

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