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Rita Agnes O’Connor Maser
February 10, 1919 ~ December 20, 2011
Rita Agnes O’Connor was born on February 10, 1919, at the family home in Detroit, Michigan, to Irish immigrants, Tom and Mollie (McGuire) O’Connor. She passed away peacefully early on December 20, 2011. Rita attended Catholic schools in Detroit and graduated from St. Theresa’s High School in 1937. Rita recalled her family home as one of hard work, devotion, and laughter.
It was while walking to and from high school that she caught the eye of a handsome Czech immigrant named Charles Maser who worked in a Detroit Times paper station.
Their courtship lasted several years until Rita and Charles married on February 17, 1942, at St. Thomas de More Church. Rita became “Rosie the Riveter” during the war, working for Holley Carburetor building warplane carburetors. Her $25 weekly wage seemed like a fortune to the young couple, and helped them save enough for a down payment on their first home. When son Don arrived in 1944, Rita became a fulltime mother. By 1950, two more children had been born, Elaine in 1949 and Dave in 1950. With a family to care for, Rita thrived. She worked hard every day for the children and her husband, keeping an immaculate house and the family well-cared for. Her children recall fondly that every day when they arrived home from school there was something freshly baked: chocolate chip cookies, a cake or one of her excellent pies.
When Don, Elaine and Dave were teenagers, she surprised everyone by bringing son Jim into the world in 1963. With the older children off to the Army and college, Jim became a true second family to Rita and Charles. In 1976 upon Charles’ retirement from the Detroit News, they moved to Montrose to join the older children.
Rita and Charles enjoyed a wonderful retirement. At the age of 70, Rita took classes and learned stained glass. She created many beautiful pieces for friends and family. She loved bowling weekly with Thursday Morning Rolling Pins, saying she was no good, but sure had fun with the girls. She participated for many years creating Christmas crafts and selling them at the many shows in town. She was a proud and productive member of the Altrusa Club of Montrose for 20 years and was a member of Montrose Republican Women.
Rita was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, her parents and her four brothers (Tom, Bill, Joe and Jim) and her sister, Marie. She is survived by her children Don and daughter, Elaine (Mike) Moore of Montrose, Dave of Durango, and Jim (Debbi) of Monument, CO along with her grandson Brandon of Grand Junction and the Steve Moore family of Montrose.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Altrusa Foundation, PO Box 3184, Montrose, CO 81402 to benefit the Lifeline program. And in the spring, plant a pot of petunias in her memory. Services will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, at 11 AM. Arrangements are under the direction of Crippin Funeral Home & Crematory, Montrose, Co.
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