Rita Loreen Anderson

Rita Loreen Renfro Anderson passed away May 29, 2024, after a life well-lived. She was born on December 7, 1945, in Boulder, CO to her parents, Glenn and June Renfro. After spending her childhood in Garden City, KS and attending Garden City High School, Rita married John L. Anderson and spent several years living in the southern United States.

In the early 1980’s, Rita returned to Boulder and her beloved Rocky Mountains. She was a passionate lover of nature and all living things, living her beliefs every day so that she did no harm to any animal or other living thing. As a well-known warrior activist in defense of animals, she was the driving force in many successful campaigns to rescue monkeys, horses, and dogs from abuse and cruel experiments. She was recognized as leading the first successful campaign in the nation to adopt the term dog “guardian” in her state’s local laws, and her activism was mentioned in several books, including “The Ten Trusts” by Jane Goodall and Mark Bekoff.

She was a loving and caring grandmother, mother, sibling, aunt, and friend and there will be many who miss her. Rita is survived by her children Michelle (Brett) Garske of Northglenn, CO; John (Holly) Anderson of Longmont, CO; sister Nancy (Richard) of Atlanta, GA, and 4 grandchildren – Charlie Spann of Denver, CO; Ashley Spann of Atlanta, GA; Pierce Anderson of Longmont, CO; and Olivia Anderson of Longmont, CO.

Please join us in celebrating Rita’s life Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, between 8:30am and 9:30am at Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, 5001 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder. A reception with the family will immediately follow the service. In lieu of flowers, Rita and her family request that all donations be sent to Circle 2 Rescue, https://www.circle2rescue.com/, in Evergreen, CO.