Rita J. Hess

Rita J. Hess age 85 a resident at Highland View Health Care Center in Brockway, PA died on Sunday, August 23, 2015 at Highland View.

Born in Apollo, PA on August 4, 1930 she was the daughter of the late Joseph R. and Edith L. Means Cunningham. She was married to Richard C. Patterson and he preceded her in death in 1997. She was a member of the Moorhead United Methodist Church in Brockway.

Retired, Rita had been employed over the years as an Executive Secretary for Amp Inc. in El Segundo, CA and as a Legal Secretary at a law firm in Beverly Hills, CA. While living in Palm Springs, CA; she also earned her Real Estate license. Just out of high school, she taught dancing lessons at the Arthur Murray School of Dance. She even had the thrill and honor of competing in Ball Room Dancing on the Island of Catalina. Rita also lived in Sau Paulo, Brazil for 2 years, and was so impressed with the people and the culture there she taught herself to speak Portuguese. She also was a volunteer for the Reading and Literacy Council helping adults learn to read.

Rita loved writing short stories and poems, reading, bird watching, gardening and was involved in the the TOPS program of weight watching. She also loved to sing in the community choir and with the choir at Moorhead.

Later in her life she even took painting lessons and learned to paint. One of her last great adventures was taking a trip to Jerusalem with her church. Her greatest enjoyment came from spending time with her family.

She is survived by a daughter Rhonda (Carl) Dixon of Munderf, PA; 4 grandchildren: Kristopher Kerchinski, Sean Kerchinski, Sarah Dixon and Emily Dixon; 3 great grandchildren: Maci Dixon, Gage Kerchinski and Lily Grace Dixon. She is also survived by a nephew Mark (Meredith) McWaters of Longwood, FL.

In addition to her parents and her husband she is preceded in death by a brother Tommy Cunningham and a sister Betty McWaters. Our family would like to thank the special nurses and aides at Highland View, who not only cared our mother and grandmother for the past 15 years, but loved her and had her best interests at heart.

All services for Rita will be private at the convenience of the family.

Memorial donations may be made to the Moorhead United Methodist Church 335 Main Street Brockway, Pa. 15824.

To send condolences online, visit csfhinc.com.