Rita Lynch Wood, 86, of Portsmouth, RI, passed away peacefully at Newport Hospital on November 2, 2023. She was the wife of the late David L. Wood for 63 years.
Born in Somerville, MA, she was the daughter of the late Paul and Agnes (Brodie) Lynch.
Rita received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Framingham State Teachers College. She then went on to Rhode Island College where she received her Master’s Degree in Education and then earned her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study.
In 1961, Rita began her career working for Middletown Public Schools as a third-grade teacher, then as the Title One Coordinator and lastly as the Principal of Linden School until her retirement in 1992. She participated in many organizations in various roles as treasurer, secretary and president and updated members of these groups through her extensive newsletters. Some of these organizations included the Middletown Retired Educators’ Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Newport County Retired Teachers Association, AAUW, the USS Salamone Association and countless others. While she enjoyed hobbies such as sewing, quilting, knitting, and exchanging letters with an extensive list of pen pals, she was most known for her yearly quotes collection books.
Rita is survived by her sons, Michael F. Wood and his wife, Darlene, of Wakefield, Brian P. Wood, of Fort Lauderdale, and Kevin D. Wood and his wife, Lisa, of Middletown. She is also survived by her grandchildren; James Wood and his wife, Bethany, Jessica Domack and her husband, Thomas, Ashley Forleo and her husband, Vincent, Michael Wood, Lauren Wood, Benjamin Wood, Kaitlin Wood, and her great grandsons Jackson, Hudson, and Greyson Domack, Dominic and Enzo Forleo and great granddaughter, Jolene Wood. She additionally leaves a sister, Wilhelmina Currie of Utah.
Services will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, with visiting hours from 8:00-9:30 AM in the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10:00 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, 2836 E Main Rd, Portsmouth. Burial will follow in Portsmouth Cemetery.
Donations in her memory may be made to The NEARI Children’s Fund.
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