Rita Mae (Pooler) Stuart

Rita Mae Stuart, 85

Lewiston - Rita M. Stuart, 85, passed away peacefully on Thursday March 9, 2017 at The Woodlands of Lewiston.  She was born in Waterville the daughter of Eddy and Alice Pooler. She attended local schools while growing up in the city’s South end.

As a young woman, she was very active in high school and spoke fondly of the trip to Boston for the 1949 New England basketball tournament where she was a cheerleader. Rita married her high school sweetheart Phillip Stuart in 1952. After joining her husband, a member of the United States Air Force, in Lake Charles Louisiana for two years, she and Phil returned to greater Waterville.

Rita worked for many years at Wyandotte Worsted Company at the Head of Falls location and on the West River Road when the company relocated there. After the Wyandotte closed, she worked in the office at Harris Baking Company before moving on to Fortin’s TV in Winslow, where she worked for many years until she retired.

She welcomed people into her home enjoying friends and family. She was a wonderful cook, woopie pies were her specialty. She could be found many weekends in the summer enjoying the lake at her sister and brother-in-law’s (Yvette and Paul Mitchell) camp in Rome. Rita and Yvette were the closest sisters many had ever seen. They enjoyed each other’s company, were best of friends and usually talked many times a day on the telephone.

A lifelong Red Sox fan, she cheered the team’s resent success. While watching the Sox on TV, it was not uncommon for her to call close friend Barbara Elliott several times during the game to discuss the latest homerun or big play.

Rita was always ready for her next adventure. While at any gathering she was the life of the party. She enjoyed nothing more than spending time with her two grand-daughters, Sarah and Erin. It was a mandatory drive to southern Maine to see the girls every couple of weeks as they were growing up. 

As her great-grandchildren arrived she became known as GiGi.

Rita was predeceased by her parents, husband Phil, and brother John Pooler. She leaves her son Mike and his wife Betty of Scarborough, grand-daughter Sarah Bailey and husband Brian of Standish, grand-daughter Erin Theriault and husband Shawn of Westbrook, 3 great-grandsons, Colby, Parker, and Sawyer Bailey, her beloved sister Yvette, many loved nieces, nephews, and friends.

A grave side service will be held in the spring to celebrate Rita’s life. To share memories and condolences with the family, please go to www.athutchins.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Rita’s memory to:

Alzheimer’s Association of Maine

383 US Route One #2C

Scarborough, Maine 04074

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