Rita Nolan Dakmak

Born April 25, 1928, in Baton Rouge, Rita was the fifth of nine children of Joseph and Victoria Hannie Nolan. She died Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. An alumna of Baton Rouge High School and LSU, she also attended Northwestern State. In 1977, Rita created the Department of Recreation, Leisure Activities and Special Events for the elderly of East Baton Rouge Parish and implemented the program as project director for 10 years at the Council on Aging. Rita was awarded "Best Recreation for the Elderly" by the National Association of Counties and was invited into "Who's Who in American Women" for outstanding achievement on local and national levels. Survived by three sons, William and Mark, both of Houston, and Nelson and wife Terri, of Baton Rouge; three grandsons, Daren, Neal and John Blake; brothers, Eugene Nolan, of Pensacola, Fla., and Charles Nolan, of Baton Rouge; sister, Joyce Westmoreland; an aunt, Georgia Hannie Manson; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceded in death by her parents, brothers N.J. Nolan and Joseph Nolan; and sisters, Annabelle Nolan Samaha, Irene Nolan Keng and Dorothy Nolan Manziel. Pallbearers will be Trey Samaha, Norman Nolan, Randy Keng, Ned Chargois, Dennis Colomb and Marc Baronet. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by Monsignor Robert Berggreen at St. Agnes Catholic Church on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 1:30 p.m., with visitation beginning at 11:30 a.m.