On Saturday, September 19th, at 8:55 a.m., Rita Sekin ended a long and hard fought battle with a very cruel and debilitating disease. Though it tried with all its might to erase the memories of long and blessed life in which she graciously shared her unconditional love and kindness, Dementia was never able to steal her sweet and gentle spirit, the unbreakable bond she had with family or her dignity. Though she is now in a far more peaceful place, strolling through Heaven’s gardens in the presence of Jesus and alongside her parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, she left behind a brigade of adoring relatives including Joe, her Chief Caregiver, friend and husband of nearly 68 beautiful years, five children including Darrell, Geraldine, Paul, Mary Jo and Chris, daughters-in-law Marty and Bonnie, sons-in-law Randy and Henry, seven grandchildren including Tina, Melissa, Rachael, Elizabeth, John Paul, Amy and Emily, five great-grandchildren including Matthew, Bailey, Jack, Alaya and Tae, and another truly amazing caregiver and friend, aptly named Grace. She will also be missed by family pets Dino, Sugar, Cinnamon, Marlo and Zoe. Born in Galveston, Texas November 3, 1925, little Rita Elaine Miller, daughter of Harry and Josephine, grew up on the island guided by big brothers Earl and Harry, and God. One day, she met another little gem of a soul named Emma Jene. They forged an unwavering friendship that stood the test of time. A few years later, she met a handsome young man named Joe on an elevator going up. And they began a journey together that would take her to the ends of the Earth and to a home in Irving that would become center of everyone’s universe. Her life was full of love. She lived for her husband and her children. Her heart skipped a beat over newborn babies. And she was a huge fan of jewelry, flowers, shopping, cooking, cleaning, sewing, painting, needlepoint and a good dessert. Her faith in her religion was unshakable, as was that of her family. She was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother and even a teacher, showing those around her the meaning of a life well lived. Though she was always an angel to us, she is now officially one. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at Brown’s Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association at www.lbda.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rita E. Sekin (Miller), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.