Rita D. (Watson) Edwards

Rita D. (Watson) Edwards 1943 ~ 2015 WESTBROOK - Rita D. (Watson) Edwards a long time resident of Westbrook passed from our midst on August 10, 2015 at the Maine Medical Center surrounded by her beloved family. Rita was born on June 16, 1943 in Manchester, New Hampshire the daughter of Lawrence and Lillian Watson. She attended Portland area schools graduating from Portland High School in 1961. Rita was a Maine Registered Certified Nursing Assistant working numerous years in the health care and hospice field providing in-home health care to her clients and their families. Her proudest role was being a mother raising her two children Gordon and Missy. They were her greatest accomplishments and she was very proud and often bragged about them to everyone. Rita married Arthur L. Edwards on February 2, 1989 settling in their new home in Westbrook. Her happiest times were being married to Arthur and their shared adventures. Her most pleasurable role was Nana to her grandson Ryan and granddaughter Allie. She loved spending time enjoying their interests and activities Rita thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family and many, many friends and their extended families whether relaxing at the water's edge, camping, traveling, taking the occasional excursion to the casino, or dining out at her favorite restaurants. Once you were embraced as a friend, you were a lifetime friend. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her first husband Gordon O. Merrill II, her brother, George Lamarche and Sister Terry Naum. Rita is survived by her loving husband of 26 years, Arthur L. Edwards; her son, Gordon O. Merrill III and wife Julie of Portland; daughter Melissa M. Finch and husband Clifton of Limerick; two grandchildren Ryan G. Merrill and Alexandra M. Finch; two sisters, Muriel Soucey and Lorraine LeBreche, three brothers, Donald, Robert, and Norman Asselin and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to extend their thanks to the Casco Bay Dialysis Facility, the VNA Home Health Services, and the doctors and nurses at the Maine Medical Center for their wonderful care and compassion. Relatives and friends are welcome to visit with the family at the A.T. Hutchins Funeral and Cremation Services, 660 Brighton Avenue, Portland on Friday, August 14 2015 from 9:30A.M. until 11A.M. A Celebration will follow at 11A.M. in the chapel of A.T. Hutchins. Burial will follow in the Brooklawn Memorial Park, Congress Street, Portland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Rita's name to the National Kidney Foundation https://www.kidney.org/support or to the American Liver Foundation https://www.liverfoundation.com. To offer condolences and share memories with the family please go to www.athutchins.com. Paste and format obituary text here.