AUBURN – Rita M. Cote, 78, passed away peacefully at the Hospice House, early Monday, May 18, with her husband, Normand, daughter, Rachel and son, Roger and her sister, Bernadette by her side, after a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and renal failure.
She was born Aug. 23, 1930, the daughter of Arthur Dionne and Nelida Arsenault. She attended Berlin, N.H., schools, graduated from St. Peter School in 1945, attended St. Dominic High School.
She was employed at Androscoggin Mill and Bates Manufacturing in the 1950s and later at Shapiro Bros., Supreme Slipper and other shoe shops in the area.
On Sept. 7, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, Normand M. Cote at St. Mary’s Church in Lewiston. She and Normand had a great marriage, where one was always there for the other. They were blessed with two children, Rachel and Roger. She was a wonderful wife and mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her greatest love was her family. She loved knitting and was a great cook. She was always ready to help members of the family in need of her loving touch.
She will be missed greatly by all the people who were fortunate enough to have known her.
She is survived by her husband, Normand, a daughter, Rachel Kidder, husband, David Kidder, and grandson, Jason Fecteau, all of Lewiston; a son, Roger of Evansville, Ind.; grandchildren, Joseph and Christopher Cote of Charleston, S.C., Teressa, and husband, Drew Kerr, and their children, Sky, Koaldon, Jocelyn and Arlee Kerr of Newtown, Ind.; and Quintyn Taylor of Richland, Ind.; and many nieces and nephews; her brothers, Philibert “Phil” and his wife, Antoinette “Toni,” of Lewiston, Omer and his wife, Yolande, of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; sister and caregiver, Bernadette “Bernie” Cyr; and special sister-in-law and co-caregiver, Estelle Bouchard and husband, Lawrence “Pete” Bouchard, of Lewiston.
She was predeceased by her mother, Nelida; and father, Arthur Dionne; sisters, Rose Anna Roy of Lewiston, Anita Doherty of Berlin, N.H., infant sister, Lucia and Jeannette Rioux of Lakewood, Calif.; a brother, Leo Paul of Mt. Clemens, Mich.; and youngest sister, Doris Deraps of Lewiston.
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