Rita M. (Kennedy) Ballou, of Centerville, MA, passed away April 10, 2019 at Cape Cod Hospital. She was the wife of the late Ralph Chester "Chet" Ballou. Born in Torrance, CA on May 7, 1931 she was the daughter of the late Harry Edmund and Catherine A. (Sexton) Kennedy. She is survived by her daughter, Diane C. Morgen and her husband James of Hanson, MA, and her grandsons, Randall J. Aittaniemi and Chester H. Aittaniemi.
Rita graduated from Gardner High School in 1949, went to business school and received an associate's from Cape Cod Community College. She was self-employed, operating her secretarial and typing services business.
Rita was a thespian, acting in and directing productions for local theatre groups in Gardner, Sandwich and Barnstable. She also enjoyed playing clarinet with the Sandwich Town Band, the Cape Cod Concert Band and the Gardner HS Alumni Band.
Rita was proud to be a Rotarian with the Osterville Rotary Club. She served as secretary of the club for many years. She enthusiastically travelled on behalf of Rotary throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia and China.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Corpus Christi Parish 324 Quaker Meeting House Road East Sandwich. Burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery Bourne. Visitation 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 154 Route 6A Sandwich, MA.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations be made to the Osterville Rotary Club P.O. Box 705 Osterville, MA 02655 or your preferred cancer research organization.
