Our mom, Rita Lucille Huber Paone was born in Sandusky, Ohio on October 18th, 1923 to William Henry Huber and Lucille Rooney. Rita was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Thomas Paone. They married on June 7th, 1950 at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Sandusky, OH. Rita’s twin sister Evelyn White still resides in Sandusky, Ohio, her other sister Henrietta “Toot” Meekins preceded her in death. Rita and Al grew up in Sandusky, Ohio. She tells everyone that when she saw the little curly headed Italian boy riding his bike, she decided that was the one she was going to marry. Mom and Dad were married 58 years. She went to college and served in World War II before they began dating, were married, and had a family. Rita graduated from Sandusky High School, in Sandusky, Ohio and then she attended Nursing School at St. Vincent School of Nursing in Toledo, Ohio. After nursing school, Rita served in the US Army Nurse Corps and worked as a Surgical Nurse during World War II. After the war, she obtained a Master’s degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve, in Cleveland, OH and went on a long career of nursing. Rita loved nursing and worked as a Cardiac Care Nurse at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Kenosha, WI and a Nursing Supervisor at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, TN. She was Director of Nursing at several nursing homes in Kenosha, WI and Memphis, TN and also worked as a nurse for Carthage College and Memphis State University. She really loved nursing. Rita was proudest of her 7 children, Tom, Tim, Ted, Teresa, Terry, and the twins, Thad and Toby. Each child has created their own path through life. The Lord took Tim away too early, she missed him dearly. Her children are spread across the country from Ohio to Illinois to Iowa to Texas to TN and finally here in Alabama. She has 15 Grandchildren, 8 Great Grandchildren, and 1 Great Great Grandchild. Rita developed many interests and wore many hats while raising her children. She was a Girl Scout leader and a church nursery volunteer (even though most of the kids were hers). She was a worried and proud mom (watching her son join the army during the Vietnam War). She was a sad and forlorn parent (losing her son Tim too early). She practiced animal husbandry (raising all of the animals we brought home). She was the family doctor with everyone lining up for their penicillin shots. Mom and Dad always took a nap after church on Sunday. She was an excellent seamstress (all of the kids wore handmade clothes at one time or another, sometimes we all matched…). And above all she was a great Mom! After retirement, Rita and Al retired to Park City, TN and joined St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Fayetteville, TN. After moving to Huntsville they became members of Our Lady Queen of the Universe Catholic Church. Rita was a longtime volunteer at the American Red Cross and Good Samaritan Association in Fayetteville, TN. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, and working on many different crafts. Mom, we miss you and love you. Please say hi to Dad and Tim for us. Visitation will be held on Monday, September 9th at 1PM CST followed by a memorial service at 2PM at Spry Funeral Home, 2411 Memorial Parkway, NW, Huntsville, AL 35810.
