Margarette Opal Daley

Margarette (Rita) Opal Daley passed away on October 16, 2015 after a very brief illness while surrounded by family and friends. She was born on July 29, 1938 in El Dorado, Kansas to Irven and Juanita Chastain who preceded her. Rita was the fifth of nine children in her family.

Rita met her husband Howard Daley in 1957 when he went to visit old high school friends and she was visiting at the friend’s house. He was completely smitten by her and asked for a date and they have been together ever since. They were married on April 5, 1958 in Los Angeles, CA. Rita and Howard renewed their wedding vows every thirteen years to avoid a thirteenth anniversary. Each time was in a different state (NV, TX, and KS). The only exception was after the 50th anniversary of their first vows when they had a fantastic catered party with an excellent Elvis impersonator with the result they (finally) had an official thirteenth anniversary.

Rita was extremely proud of getting her GED diploma, of completing Cosmetology College and getting her Beauty License in both CA and TX. She loved all aspects of hairdressing. She was also an accomplished sewer and upholsterer but her main past time was genealogy. She began researching her mother’s family in 1978 but later extended her research to other family histories and traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland to document her findings. Rita published books on five families and was working on a sixth at the time of her passing. Rita loved all types of music but especially liked Elvis, Andrea Bocelli, the BeeGee’s, and Willie Nelson. When she would leave on a trip she would put the top down on her convertible and crank up Willie’s “On the Road Again”.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years Howard Daley, children Daniel Daley of McKinney, TX, Thomas and Kim Daley of McKinney, TX, and Susan Daley of Carrollton, TX., and grandchildren Storm and Kelly Daley of Plano, TX and Brice Dotson of Dallas, TX.

Rita is also survived by her sister Mary Hart of CA and brothers Bill Chastain of MO, Gordon Chastain, Bert Chastain, and David Chastain of El Dorado, KS.

She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law Joan and Robert Hartman of Encinitas, CA. and the rest of the Daley family. She left a large contingent of nieces and great nieces, nephews and great nephews. She was especially close to Delena Chastain Soukup of Kansas City, MO and Bobby Hartman of Encinitas, CA.

She was a wonderful wife and mother and will missed by all of us including our two cats Hunter and Princess.