Rita Dorothy Morse

Rita Dorothy Morse passed peacefully in her sleep on January 18, 2019. She is survived by her son Tom and wife Andrea of Raleigh; JoAnn Morse of Southampton, NY; and Jan Grubbs and husband Bob of Fairfax Station, VA. Rita enjoyed five grandchildren, John Wines, Lisa Anderson, William Wines, Robert Grubbs, and Elizabeth Grubbs; and two great-children Naomi and Natalia Anderson. Rita was preceded in death by her husband Robert Joseph of Clearfield, PA.

Rita was happiest when spending time with her family. She enjoyed frequent visits to Pinehurst, NC with Tom and Andrea to share a drink at the Ryder Cup Lounge. Her daughter JoAnn made Rita smile with her beautiful voice and music. While daughter Jan always made Rita laugh with her stories and travel adventures.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rita graduated from Notre Dame Woman’s College. She continued her studies and interned at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, earning her professional accreditation as a Registered Dietitian (RD). Some of her favorite memories were raiding the kitchen after hours with other interns in search of ice cream. Rita lived many years in Allendale, N.J. and enjoyed a long and rewarding career serving patients at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J. Even in retirement her career as a Registered Dietitian was never far from her thoughts, with her car bearing custom NC license plates RDM-RD.

After retirement Rita made her home in North Carolina. She enjoyed nothing more than having family and friends visit at her home in Cary, NC. Rita became a passionate defender of the Eastern style of NC barbecue, as long as it was properly served with Hush Puppies on the side.

A woman of great faith, Rita was a long-time member of St. Andrews Catholic Church of Apex, NC. Rita spent the last five years in residence at an assisted living facility in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Heartland Hospice at heartlandhospicefund.org.