Rita Mae Essex

Join us in honoring our dear loved one, Rita Mae Essex born on February 6, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Grady Smith and Gertrude (McCray) Smith. She was the seventh of eight children. Four sisters and two brothers preceded her in death.

She attended Northern High School in Detroit. After high school she continued to be a student of life and a lifelong learner.

Rita met her former husband, the late Benjamin Essex, in Detroit. From this union, three children were born: Dana, Vanita, and Julie.

She had a dedicated 26 career of service at J.L. Hudson department store, where she advanced from entry level positions to data processing operator which fulfilled her passion for technology.

Later in life, Rita moved to Portland, Oregon, to live with her daughter Julie and son-in-law Geoffrey, providing spiritual grounding and care for her grandson Malik and later her granddaughter Maiya.

She embraced the adventure of living in several different states—Oregon, Georgia, Washington, Arizona, and Texas. She would often say, “Who ever thought I’d be living in so many different places in my senior years? God is good!” She enjoyed exploring and learning new things in each place, but most of all she treasured the time spent with her grandchildren.

In her early years, Rita was a member of Burns Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Detroit. She transferred her church membership to a local Seventh-day Adventist church in each state she lived in, with her final membership being at Grace Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church. Rita was a devout Christian and had a faith-filled relationship with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rita loved spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling. Even at 90 years of age, she realized a dream to travel to Spain. Rita enjoyed playing games on her tablet, especially puzzles, and was an avid texter. Her daily text messages, often adorned with her personalized Bitmoji greetings, brought smiles to her family. Her mind remained sharp and active.

In 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she battled with faith, strength and grace over the next three years.

Rita leaves a legacy to family members as they celebrate her life and cherish her memory: one brother, Grady Smith of Detroit, Michigan; one son, Dana Essex Sr. of Atlanta, Georgia; two daughters, Vanita (Edward) Cooper of Houston, Texas, and Julie (Geoffrey) Webster of North Richland Hills, Texas; twelve grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; ten great-great-grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.

“The loss is immeasurable, but so is the love left behind.”

Author Unknown