Rita Marie Diehl

Rita was the seventh of eight children born to Angela and Joseph Klos, and perhaps as a consequence of this large family, was a very independent and headstrong person who valued her personal agency and self-reliance highly. In her many years of Catholic schooling, she received considerable attention for her exceptional grammar and skill in artistry, which imparted a lifelong fondness for her Catholic faith and specifically for nuns.

As a single mother of four, she sent herself through college and worked as an operating room nurse for over 30 years. Rita always spoke very fondly of her career and the great skill and compassion it required, and she forged many great friendships from her years in nursing.

Through her hard work, Rita provided for her family well, and taught tenacity and resourcefulness to them by her example. Her family always understood her to be honest, forthright, dependable, trustworthy, yet empathetic and kind-hearted. Many people have described her as a ‘force of nature’, referencing her tremendous resolve and ability to see tasks to completion.

With a love for practical art and rustic, handmade things, Rita was an accomplished artist. She was a skilled painter, sculptor, seamstress, quilter, potter, iconographer, and she also did beadwork, ceramic jewelry, costume design, graphic arts, and embroidery. She donated several of her hand painted religious icons to a number of parishes and clergy, bringing her great joy and satisfaction.

Rita is survived by her children Ted (Fawn), of Lee’s Summit, James of Denver, Colorado, and Katy (Scott), of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and five grandchildren, Gabriel, Laura, Thomas, Andrew, and Jacob, as well as siblings Margie Skistimas, and Danny and Jimmy Klos. She was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Luci, and her siblings Joe, Eva, Martha, and Rosie.

In her later years, Rita cherished her parish community, extolling the benefits of her many friendships with fellow parishioners of her church, which informally was known as the “holy donut” group. It is without a doubt to her family that the vigilance and fortitude of the prayers from this amazing and dedicated group sent Rita directly to heaven.

A visitation for Rita will be held Friday, July 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Mass at 11:00 AM, at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church, 130 NW Murray Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64081. A graveside service will follow at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, 7601 Blue Ridge Blvd, Raytown, MO 64138.