Rita Porter

PORTER, Rita Cecilia— After a lengthy farewell, at the Elliott Home, Guelph, on Thursday, January 3, 2013. Rita C. (nee Coady) Porter, in her 105th year, was the cherished wife of the late C. George Porter (August 11, 1957). Dear mother of Barbara Breese, Ronald (Sylvia) Porter, and Catherine (Jim) Garrison. Rita is survived by one sister-in-law Betty Coady and one son-in-law Kenneth Gemmell. She is fondly remembered by ten grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and sixteen great-great-grandchildren. Rita was predeceased by her daughter Eileen Gemmell (August 8, 1993) and by her siblings the late Helen (late Ted) Kendrick, the late Dorothy (late Earl) Bolton, the late Anne (late John) Yanchus, the late Francis (late Vera) Coady, the late Albert Coady, the late Edward (late Veronica) Coady, by two sons-in-law Clarence Breese and Allan Claremont, by two grandsons Robert Forrest and Brian Gemmell, and by a great-granddaughter Barbara Forrest. Rita was born in Guelph in 1908 and spent her entire 104 years living there. She attended St. Agnes School and worked at Sterling Rubber and then the Guelph Spinning Mill. Her parents died in the same year (1926), and Rita left work and took over looking after her three brothers and three sisters who ranged in age from six months to seventeen years. She married George Porter in 1928 and they lived in the family home at 48 Toronto Street until 1935, when, with three children of their own, they moved to 37 Manitoba Street. George was a city fireman and was in the army from 1940-45. When he returned from the army, they built a home at 241 Metcalfe Street where she lived until 2003, when she was 95 years of age. Rita then moved up the street, to the Elliott. Rita worked at the Homewood as a pastry chef for 25 years. After George died, and the all the children had left home, she rented room to university students and teachers. Friends are invited to meet with the family at the Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, Dublin Chapel, 252 Dublin St. N., Guelph, on Thursday, January 10th, 2013 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A Vigil for Rita will be held at the funeral home on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Church of Our Lady, 28 Norfolk St., Guelph, on Friday, January 11th, 2013, at 10 a.m. Interment, Marymount Cemetery, Guelph. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Church of Our Lady Building Fund or to the Elliott Community would be appreciated by the family (cards available at the funeral home (519-822-4731), or send condolences to www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com ).

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Church of Our Lady, 28 Norfolk St., Guelph, on Friday, January 11th, 2013, at 10 a.m.