PORTLAND – Rita Mary Holt, 78, of Rumford and most recently Portland, was called to be with her Lord and Savior on Easter, Sunday, March 23. She passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, with dignity and courage, at Maine Medical Center, surrounded by family and friends, after a brief illness.

She was born in Rumford on March 3, 1930, the daughter of Celestine (Richard) and Telesphore Robichaud. She grew up on Waldo Street and attended St. John’s school. After the death of her father in 1945, she joined the work force as a retail clerk, to help support her family and soon after, experienced the start of her life’s blessings by getting into the Oxford Paper Mill, fanning and counting paper. Through the years, she always put others first and never faltered.

In 1957, she married Tom Holt and later from this union was blessed in 1966 with her only child, Mark Steven. From the start, she was a single mom, working three shifts and she never tired. In 1967, she moved back to Waldo Street. Later she took a leave from the paper mill to care for her mother and though times were tough she never lost hope or faith.

In 1978, she took a leap of faith and purchased her house on Knox Street. “I’m so blessed,” she would say and was blessed again in 1985, with full retirement from the paper mill (Boise Cascade) giving 40 years of service as a machine worker, painters helper and finally her favorite job, working roll wrap. In 1998, she overcame breast cancer. She was challenged again in 2005 with colon cancer. She was strong willed and not afraid to give testimony of her healing and life’s blessings.

She was a woman of strong faith and conviction with overpowering empathy. She was caring, generous, compassionate and extremely loving and gracious. She enjoyed her quiet life reminiscing and telling stories to whomever would listen. She enjoyed reading, bowling, shopping for and sharing her many finds on QVC, collecting cookbooks and videos, watching and feeding birds from her enormous lilac tree, word search puzzles, baking for family and friends, game shows and Christian programs.

She especially enjoyed having coffee with her best friend, Audrey. Never having a car, she enjoyed her walks downtown and going for rides whenever possible. And in her own way, even the tasks of home maintenance gave her comfort. For almost 30 years, she cherished and thanked God for her “little house on the hill” and her benefits of retirement.

Blessings in 2007 were abundant for her, with her move to Portland. She put her trust in God and started a new life to be closer to her son. She once again was showered with blessings of new friends and a new “adopted” family and she soon became a city girl. One situation after another fell into place and in Rita fashion – “my Spirit told me,” and she knew her Lord was guiding her. From her new “penthouse” apartment overlooking Casco Bay, she never referred to her newfound fortune as luck. In her words again, “I am so blessed.”

Surviving is her son, Mark Steven Holt of Portland; her two sisters, Annette Farrington (and Frank) of Norway and Claudette Floyd (and Don) of Oxford; her three brothers, Ernest Robichaud (and Edith) of Carthage, Norman Robichaud (and Isabelle) of Mexico and Robert Robichaud (and Corajene) of Florida; several nieces and nephews and their children; also her very dear Portland “family,” Joy Knight, Dave Nadeau, Chris Shuping and her new friends at 100 State St.