SOMERS, Rita Somers

Rita passed away peacefully with Dan at her bedside where he cared for her with love and devotion for many weeks. Rita greeted her children and grandchildren at Lakeridge Hospital but she desperately wanted to go home.

Rita Somers and Dan were married for 49 years and raised three children to have families of their own: Patrick (Michelle), Matthew (Katalin) and Laura (Martin). Her grandsons will miss their beloved “Bam” – Gabriel, Rowan and Daniel. Brother Lou (Teresa) and sister Judy are Rita’s older siblings. They immigrated from Hong Kong and England in 1954 to Canada where Rita was born in 1956. Rita was eternally grateful to her parents, Louis (Sr.) and Veronica (Remedios) for starting a new life in Canada and believing that education would provide a future for their children.

Rita attended Saint Brigid Catholic School in Toronto and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1975. She learned to play guitar and joined the folk group at St. Brigid’s Church where she met her future husband, Dan Somers. They married in 1977 and the children soon followed.

Rita was an excellent cook and hosted dinners for every birthday and holiday for many years. Rita was a gifted artist who created original pieces of decoupage that she used to make unique cards for every family situation. She was a talented painter in water color and extended her creativity to slide shows and videos to celebrate family events. In her spare moments she started learning to play piano. Rita became very interested in the family history and delved into genealogy. She treasured her parents’ photos and artifacts from Hong Kong and used them to share the history of the Rocha family with her children and grandchildren.

Rita received her diploma in Early Childhood Education from Centennial College and worked at St. Andrew Daycare in Toronto before she became an Education Assistant at St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School in Ajax where she worked closely with principal Pat McKinnon and school secretary Sue Waite. Rita published the school newsletter and served as chair of the parent council for several years until all of her children graduated to high school. She then volunteered at Mother Teresa with Pat McKinnon. Despite her lifelong heart issues, Rita enjoyed playing staff volleyball and helping with many school events. She became close friends with Claudette Assing and they supported each other throughout the years. Rita received the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Durham District Catholic School Board for her work as a parent volunteer.

Dan is grateful to Dr. Francis and the oncology team at Lakeridge for the care they provided to Rita during the last year. He would also like to thank the team at Oak Ridges Hospice for helping them spend Rita’s last day together in peace and without pain. Thank you to Myles O’Riordan at Wagg Funeral Home for his advice and assistance.

The family and friends will gather at a future date to celebrate Rita’s life. Cards may be sent to Dan Somers at 316 Delaney Drive, Ajax, ON, L1T 3N5. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or Heart and Stroke. These organizations epitomize Rita’s life of service to her family and friends.

Heaven has a new angel.