Rita Eleanora (Lassa) Kehoe, 85, of East Troy, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2019, at Glenwood in Whitewater.
Rita was born on Oct. 31, 1933, in Milwaukee to William and Apolonia (Brozek) Lassa. She was raised on the south side of Milwaukee with her sisters, Dorothy and Kathleen. Rita graduated from Bay View High School and attended Cardinal Strich College. She continued her education at UW-Madison. In 1959, Rita married Dennis William Kehoe, of Watertown, at the St. Josephat’s Basilica in Milwaukee. She was a dedicated educator for 35 years and retired from the Mukwonago School District.
Rita was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Whitewater and St. Mary Catholic Church in Palmyra. She and Denny were active in the Latin American Mission Program. Rita was proud of her Polish heritage and had traveled to Poland. She enjoyed traveling, music, cooking, reading and spending time with her sister, Dorothy, and her husband, Harry. Rita loved spending time with her children and their families.
She is survived by her husband, Dennis; children, Rita (Parker) Dow, William (Heather) Kehoe, Maria (David) Hinners; grandchildren, Heather (David) Buehler, Holly Dow, Morganne (Andrew) Seiner, Shannon Kehoe, Meghan Kehoe, Alex Hinners, Eric Hinners; great-granddaughter, Seraphine Buehler.
She is preceded in death by her parents, William and Apolonia Lassa; and sister, Dorothy Mitchell.
A visitation will take place Monday, July 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Palmyra. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until the time of services. Donations can be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rita’s honor.
The family would like to give special thanks to the staff at Glenwood and Marquart Hospice for their continued care for Rita and Denny. They also would like to thank the staff and parish of St. Mary Catholic Church of Palmyra and St. Patrick Catholic Church of Whitewater for their continued support.
Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
