Rita Rae Stewart's Obituary
Rita Rae Stewart, age 86, of Coulterville, IL passed away Saturday, August 19, 2023, in Pinckneyville Community Hospital.
Rita was born on November 14, 1936 in DuQuoin, Illinois, a daughter to Wilbur "Peck" and Wilma Stewart.
She was a 1954 graduate of Pinckneyville Community High School. She graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, in 1958 with a Bachelor's degree in special education.
Rita taught art, English, and social studies at Pinckneyville Community High School from 1959-1961 while she worked to complete her Master's degree in administration from SIU-C. She then moved to Taylorville, Illinois where she taught special education for a few years before she moved to the Chicago area and taught special education at Niles West High School for many years then became an administrator at Niles North High School.
During her years in Chicago, she was very active in the local summer community theater where she designed, sewed and oversaw all the costuming for a multitude of musical productions including " My Fair Lady" and "West Side Story".
After retirement, Rita returned to Southern Illinois where she became an active member of Perry County HCE, the Swanwick Picnic Association, several pinochle clubs, the Sparta bowling league, and quilting clubs, as well as substitute teaching at many local schools.
Rita was an avid gardener and an incredible seamstress. She was a die-hard Cubs fan until she moved back to Southern Illinois where she quickly became a Cardinals fan. She loved going to CASINOS, traveling, with one of her life goals being to see a baseball game in every major league stadium in the United States.
Survivors include her brother, Bill Stewart; and sister, Jane (Mike) Chapman; six nieces and nephews, Jeanne (Ken) Smith, Tim Stewart, Chris Stewart, Patrick (Carrie) Stewart, Jennifer (Jim) Locum, and Sara (Jon) Tanner; ten great-nieces and nephews, Paul Stewart (fiancé Jessica), Emily Smith, Austin Stewart (fiancé Monica), Hayden Locum, Devyn Locum, Grant Tanner (fiancé Daisy), Holden Locum, Lily Tanner, Jonah Tanner and Zeke Tanner.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister-in-law, Mary Ruth Stewart.
Funeral services will be at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, IL on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., with Pastor Tim McIntyre officiating. Interment will be in Swanwick Bethel Cemetery, Swanwick, IL.
Visitation will be at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, IL on Tuesday, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on Wednesday morning from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.
Rita had a passion for education, particularly special education. So in her memory, her family is establishing the Rita Stewart Memorial Scholarship to help further the education of future special education teachers. Memorials may be made to the Rita Stewart Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, IL has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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