Rita M. Knowlton

Rita M. Knowlton, 88, passed away peacefully at Pheasant Wood Healthcare Center in Peterborough, NH on August 25, 2014.

She was born in Fitzwilliam, NH on July 1, 1926, daughter of the late J. Arthur and Alma (Desmarais) Despres.

Rita was a Life-long resident of Jaffrey and parishioner of Saint Patrick Church. She had worked in the Jaffrey Mills and at Warwick Mills as a weaver before working at D.D. Bean & Sons and Millipore until retiring.

Rita enjoyed bird watching and taking care of the many stray animals that came to her door for food. She was an amateur photographer and an avid armchair contestant on the Wheel of Fortune.

In addition to her parents, Rita was predeceased by her husband Albert Knowlton on December 15, 1994. Her sisters Germaine Brault and Edith Burnham, and her nephew Scott Campbell also died earlier.

She is survived by her niece Carol Burnham of Waco, TX and by her 2 nephews, Howard Burnham and his wife Mari of Plymouth, NH and Curtis Burnham and his wife Elaine of Dublin, NH and their families.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Thursday August 28, 2014 at 12:00 Noon at St. Patrick Church, Main Street, Jaffrey. Rev Wilfred H Deschamps, pastor, will officiate.

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend calling hours on Thursday at the Cournoyer Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 33 River Street, (Rte. 202) Jaffrey
from 10:30AM until the time of the Mass

Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that Memorial Contributions be made in Rita’s name to the Monadnock Caregivers, c/o Monadnock Region ServiceLink Resource Center, 105 Castle Street, Keene, NH 03431