Rita Trahan Odenheimer

Born January 4, 1927, in Alexandria, LA, to Mary Louise Schexnayder and Jules Trahan, Rita grew up in White Castle, LA, graduating from White Castle High School before attending business school. She and her sister, Geneva, then set out for Seattle, where they extended their travel adventure by working there for several years.

Back in Louisiana, Rita worked at New Orleans’ Higgins Industries, which during World War II had become renowned for its division that designed and built landing craft carrying Allied troops. Next, she took a job at Lane Cotton Mill, where she met her first husband, J. Freyhan Odenheimer, to whom she was happily married for 32 years. Twelve years after Freyhan’s death in 1982, Rita married Merl Huntsinger, enjoying a second marriage that brought her joy, until his death in 2012.

Rita was a caring, loving mother to three children: Carol O. Caplan of New Orleans; Stephen F. Odenheimer of Bedford, Texas; and John W. (Sally) Odenheimer of Centennial, CO.

In addition to her husbands, Rita was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, Quentin, Kermit, Thomas, Evariste, and Kenneth Trahan; sisters, Geneva St. Germain and Marie Schneider; and daughter-in-law, Susan Odenheimer.

Survivors include her three children, and her sister, Lorraine Dowdell. Also, seven grandchildren: Craig (Andrea) Caplan, Michael (Jennifer) Caplan, Eleanor (Mike) Brin, Sarah Odenheimer, Eric (Liz) Odenheimer, John (Tim) Odenheimer, and Thomas (Katelyn) Odenheimer; and seven great-grandchildren: Beverly, Jack, Abby and Rachel Caplan, Makenzie, Jackson and Parker Brin. She remained close and adored her many nieces and nephews.

Always active in the lives of her children and in the community, Rita was a benefactor of the Audubon Nature Institute, especially the Odenheimer Seal Lion Pool in Audubon Zoo. Other volunteer activities included being a cabinet member and area coordinator for the United Way; board member and auxiliary president of Touro Infirmary, where she also worked in the gift shop; and a founder of the Encore Shop vintage resale clothing store benefiting the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra (now LPO).

A lifelong lover of music, Rita was a familiar figure at Loyola University New Orleans. She was a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and was chair of the College of Music Visiting Committee. To express her faith in the education offered at Loyola, she established and funded both an endowed scholarship and professorship in the College of Music. In 2000, Rita was awarded Loyola's Integritas Vitae Award. She was honored in 2002 with the Loyola's President's Medal.

Jean Montes, a friend and educator in the Loyola School of Music, beautifully wrote of Rita:

“She was a wonderful, kind angel who found a way to nurture, care for all of us around her and make us feel special. She will be one of the very best angels up there. Many thanks for sharing her with us.”

Rita Odenheimer’s funeral is Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at St. Rita's Catholic Church New Orleans, Broad Place / 2729 Lowerline Street. The visitation will begin at 10:00AM with the Funeral Mass at noon. Interment will follow the Mass in the Freyhan plot on Avenue ‘N’ in Metairie Cemetery.

In lieu de flowers, the family requests donations to the Rita and Merl Huntsinger Endowed Scholarship in Music, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Avenue Box 909, New Orleans, LA 70118; or Louisiana Philharmonic Symphony, 2533 Columbus St., Ste. 202, New Orleans, LA 70119; or the charity of your choice.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com