Rita Healy

Rita Healy (nee Vasek), 93, of Wellington died Saturday, May 27, 2017 at the Elms Retirement Village. Born on September 15,1923 in Maple Heights, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Florence (nee Kraus) Vasek.

Rita was a dietician at Crile Hospital located in Parma, and later became a Home Economics teacher for the Parma Public Schools where she taught at Pleasant Valley Jr. High School. After retiring from the Parma School System, Rita's passion for quilting was born.

Specializing in hand quilted "miniatures," she exhibited extensively throughout Northeast Ohio's Local Quilt Guild Shows; at many library exhibits, and regularly in National Quilting Day Displays. Rita had entries in regional quilt shows such as Ohio's Lake County's Metropark, Lake Farmpark, and Sauder Farm in Archbold, OH. Out of state shows included Tennessee's Smoky Mountain Quilters "Dogwood Art Festival;" "Quilts in the Forest," at Sawmill Creek; Cook's Forest PA, and shows in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Delaware.

Rita won numerous awards for her works. Her entries to the Hoffman Challenge were included in National Tours on three separate occasions. She was a regular exhibitor in the annual shows of the National Quilting Association (NQA).Her work was juried into the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System's "The Life and Times of Education" exhibition; the "American Quilters Society Show" in Paducah, KY, and "Quilt America," in Indianapolis, IN.

One of her later quilts entitled "Underground Railroad" was shown in Washington D.C, and subsequently at the Bonnie Brae Elk Farm Quilt Show.

Rita donated regularly to local guild auctions and community service projects; church raffles, and the NQA small quilt auction. She was the chairman of NQA's small quilt auction at Bowling Green, OH and also at Grand Rapids, MI.

Her teaching included classes for local guilds, the NQA seminars at Cedar Lakes, WV, and the NQA show at Bowling Green, OH.

Published works included articles and patterns in Miniature Quilts, Quilt Ohio, The Quarterly, Traditional Quiltworks, and Quilt World magazine.

Despite all this, Rita deemed her greatest treasures to be her children Patricia Reinhard (Ken Goosey) and Paul Healy; her grandchildren Sarah (Nathan) Burrows, and Dave Reinhard (Miranda Hiss); and her great grandchildren Ava and Emma Burrows. Rita is also survived by her sister Joan McCombs, and her brother Frank (Maxine) Vasek.

Friends and family will be received on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main St, Wellington, from 5-8 p.m. a mass of Christina Burial will be celebrated on Monday, June 5 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 510 North Main, Wellington, Father Cole Officiating. Burial will follow at Wood Vail Cemetery, Cleveland. Condolences and fond memories may be shared online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.