Rita was born on April 17, 1932 in Birmingham, England, as Rita Tomkinson, but her friends, family and community playfully referred to her as Tomcat. After surviving World War 2, Rita joined the Women's Army during the Korean War as a cook and a PT officer. It was during this time that she met Roger Hulthen, a member of the United States Air Force, who she married after emigrating to the United States. Rita became first a mother to four children, then later a "Grandy" to four grandchildren. A loving and vivacious woman, Rita spent a full life both as a homemaker and in the restaurant business. Whether it was waitressing for a high stakes mob poker game or traveling to New Orleans on a private jet with her friend and restaurant co-owner to get waffles, she had no shortage of extraordinary stories to tell about her experiences. In 2014, she moved to Charlotte, NC to live with her daughter, Dawn, and her family, and remained there until the end of her life. Rita enjoyed cooking, gardening, traveling in her RV, big crazy family meals, and a good cup of tea.
Rita is survived by her four children Dawn, Eric, Roger and Deborah, and her four grandchildren Audrey, Morgan, Alexandria, and Roger (Mick).
High tea will be served in Rita's honor from 6:30 - 8:30pm on Saturday, July 27th, at Dawn's home.
We were very blessed to know you -- we won the lottery in best mother, grandmother and friend.
Everyone will miss and love you more than we can ever say.
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