Obituary of Rita Donnelly

RITA DONNELLY (nee McManus)December 5, 1928 – April 25, 2020It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Rita on April 25, 2020. Rita passed away peacefully at the age of 91, with family by her side, at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. She was predeceased by her husband, Patrick, in 2004.Rita is the cherished mother of Geri Sullivan (John), Kerry (Laura), Shaun (Shannon), and Glenn (Lorna).She is also the beloved grandmother of Jacqueline and Shane (Andrea) Buntin, Kaleigh, Alisha, and Liam Donnelly and Jessica Donnelly and great grandmother to Ryanne, Charleigh, Dannee, Halla, and Tommy.Also predeceased by her parents John and Catherine McManus and brothers Andy, Gerard, Patrick, and Joseph and sisters Molly and Phyllis. She is survived by her brother John (Frances ) and sister Kathleen, as well as sisters-in-law Frances (Neal) and Iris (McManus). Rita was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland and later moved to Birmingham, England, where she met and married Patrick. In 1954, they made a life-changing decision when Patrick immigrated to Canada, with Rita and Geri following a year later. They embraced their new “home,” where they lovingly raised their children, and through many hours of hard work, became owners of several sewing stores (Oakville Sewing Centre) until their retirement.Rita loved her family dearly and embraced any chance to be together. She was a great storyteller and shared many memories of her youth, as well as her early years in Canada, and of her young family. She loved to laugh and make others laugh too, and will be fondly remembered by all for her feisty sense of humour.Due to the current environment, the family will have a private service, and when possible, we will gather together to remember and celebrate the life of this special woman. If desired, donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family.All are welcome to view the funeral service on LiveStream. Please follow the link below.*Please join the family for the live stream service which will begin Monday, May 4th at 9: 55 a.m. Access to the live stream may be obtained by clicking on the following link: http://www.distantlink.com/dlm1.htmlPassword: Arbor2020