Rita C. Mynahan (Roux), 78, died peacefully on Monday, Feb. 19, at AdventHealth Orlando East hospital, following a brief illness. Her loving family was by her side.
Rita was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Sept. 12, 1945, the daughter of the late Marie Villemaire. She attended local schools and earned her GED.
On Nov. 8, 1975, she married the love of her life, Frank S. Mynahan Jr., in Nashua, New Hampshire. They built their home in Amherst, New Hampshire, where they continued to live and raise their family while enjoying their summers at their cottage in Harpswell, Maine. In 2002, they sold their home in New Hampshire and retired to Merritt Island, Florida, for their winters, continuing to spend their summers in Harpswell.
Rita loved all things family. Her grandchildren were the lights of her life, and Christmas was her favorite holiday. She loved making big family dinners on Sundays and hosting an annual cookout in Maine for friends and family. She was an excellent crafter, sewing her daughter’s Halloween costumes, crocheting blankets, or completing needlework projects. She loved to read, indulge in the occasional Black Russian, and plant flowers; tulips were her favorite.
Rita was predeceased by her loving husband, Frank, in November 2023, and by several brothers and sisters. She is survived by two daughters, Stephanie and her husband, Michael Smetana, of Florida, and Tiffany and her husband, Brett Kimmelman, of Connecticut; two grandchildren, Stephen and Celeste Smetana, of Florida; a sister, Dolores Blanchard, of New Hampshire; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held in Harpswell this summer. Arrangements are being made by Newcomer Funeral Home in Orlando, Florida.
