Rita Beverly Mewborn

Rita Ann Mewborn (formerly Beverly) passed away peacefully on May 7, 2024 at Spring Arbor of Williamsburg, VA. Rita was born December 15, 1933 in Clintwood, Virginia the second of four children to Walton and Eura Beverly. Rita grew up on a farm in Appalachia during the Great Depression and while her roots and love for Virginia ran deep, she yearned to see what lay beyond the hills of her childhood. After high school graduation, Rita moved to Richmond where she found work as a secretary and began to take classes in art and composition. At age 20, she took a summer job as a camp counselor in Virginia Beach where she was introduced to Rufus Warren Mewborn, the older brother of one of her charges. Warren was from South Hill, Virginia and stationed at Langley AFB as an Air Force pilot. Rita and Warren eloped in January 1955 and went across the state line to North Carolina to be married by the Justice of the Peace, thus beginning their life together as a military husband and wife. For the next 30 years the two rotated to various Air Force duty stations including overseas tours to England and the Philippines, as well as half-a-dozen stateside assignments, including four years at the Pentagon. Along the way Rita and Warren raised three children, Michael, Tabitha and Kayte. Rita redirected her artistic talents to being the wife of a career military officer and to that of being a mother, imparting to her children a love of reading books and an appreciation for art. She always had a flair for color and fashion which she applied beautifully to her home, her clothes and her meals! As her children, we were the recipients of her unfailing love, support and encouragement no matter what path or pursuit we took on. We are grateful for the sense of wonder and curiosity of the world that she conveyed to us along with her early life memoir that her writing talents left behind. Growing up in a secure and happy home is something that we do not take for granted and continues to pay dividends! Rita is preceded in death by her husband Warren and her youngest brother Ralph. She is survived by her sister Kay Dotson (John) of Clintwood, VA, brother Earl Beverly (Sonnie) of Kingsport, TN, all three of her children Mike, Tabitha (Gary Sims) and Kayte, and two grandchildren Robert Sims and Christy Jasien (Chris). Warren passed away in 2010 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery where Rita's remains will be interred during a ceremony in November. An online Zoom memorial celebration is scheduled for Sunday, July 14.