Rita Mary (Hughes) Michaels

Rita Mary Michaels, beloved of many, died peacefully on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at the age of 93.  As a woman of the Greatest Generation, her life was one of extraordinary character, forged through the privation of the Great Depression, the trauma of World War II and through the anxiety of the Cold War and Vietnam years. To all who knew her, she was a beacon of faith, courage, compassion and integrity.

Born in Hobart, Indiana, April 19, 1924, to parents of English/Scots heritage, Rita grew to adulthood in the steel and farming communities of the Midwest.  She played the clarinet enthusiastically in high school band and ensembles.  She received her Registered Nursing diploma from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Chicago in 1944.   She practiced as an R. N. in Chicago, Stanford University and in Washington, D.C. through the 1940’s.

In 1949 Rita was married to Herman J. Michaels.  Herman’s military career took the family on two tours of duty to Germany, spanning 9 years through the 1950’s and 1960’s, with stations in Frankfurt, Heilbronn and Berlin.  Military life mixed adventure with privation. When and where Herman’s military duty called, she moved the family and maintained the household with calm strength. She was devoted to her husband and children.

As a life-long Episcopalian, Rita was active in the Church through various ministries. She loved the Washington National Cathedral.  Rita was a passionate gardener and a voracious consumer of the news. On most days she thoroughly read the Washington Post. She reacted with outrage to any whiff of prejudice, injustice or random unnecessary violence.

Rita was preceded in death by Herman, her husband of 56 years in 2005. She is survived by her four children Pamela, Gregory, Thomas and Stephen, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at the Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A.  1411 Annapolis Road, Odenton, MD 21113 on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Memorial Service will be held at the Epiphany Episcopal Church, 1419 Odenton Road, Odenton, MD 21113 on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 11:00 am.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations in memory of Rita be made to the American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839 or the Washington National Cathedral, Attn: Development Office, 3101 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20016-5098

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