Rita G. (Nord) McAndrew of Portland Oregon, passed away peacefully in her sleep after a long term illness which she handled with her usual grace and style. She was born in Pontiac Michigan to parents Paul and Helen. Rita was the youngest of six children - two brothers and three sisters. She graduated from St. Frederick's Catholic high school where she was often the high scorer for the Frederickites' girl bucketeers basketball team. Rita went on to attend college for 2 years in Ohio before taking a fateful trip to Hawaii with her sister Catherine. In Hawaii, she met her future husband Tom who was in Hawaii while serving in the U.S. Army. They soon married and lived on numerous military bases in Kansas, New Jersey, Nuremberg Germany, Alabama and Georgia. Tom eventually retired in Atlanta, Georgia and by then they were raising 3 daughters. Rita stayed busy with her daughters and was always sewing costumes or helping build homecoming floats. She created a beautiful garden in Atlanta and enjoyed remodeling her mid-century modern home. Rita did it all from adding on to her kitchen and removing walls, to painting, hanging sheetrock and wallpapering. She loved to decorate and had quite the eye for design. Rita had a certain flair about her and with an innate sense of style. She was naturally glamorous with an infectious laugh and smile and she had a knack for making mundane things fun.

Rita stayed in Atlanta for almost 40 years and after retiring as a computer operator, moved to Bend, Oregon where she enjoyed retired life attending daily mass at St. Francis church and taking walks up Pilot Butte or along Drake Park. She eventually settled in Portland, Oregon to be closer to her youngest daughter. She is predeceased by her former husband Lt. Colonel Thomas J. McAndrew, Jr., her three sons who died at birth James & John (twins) and Joseph, her brothers Paul & Jack, and sisters Barbara Stanton and Mary "Pat" Hanel. Rita is survived by her sister Catherine Griffin; her daughters Teresa (husband Ashley) Miller, Patricia (Patti) McAndrew and Mary Elizabeth McAndrew as well as her three grandsons, Daniel, Patrick & Michael Miller.

In lieu of flowers, please have masses said for Rita to honor her strong Catholic faith or make a donation in her honor to St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Pontiac, Michigan.

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