Rita Desrosiers Labombarde (née Willette) passed away on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at the age of 92, at Kindred Healthcare’s Greenbriar Facility in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Rita was a Crown Hill gal and raised her two children, Doris and David, with her husband and soulmate Gilbert “Gilly” Desrosiers on Allds St. in Nashua, NH. Rita was a vibrant member of her community, as a communicant at Infant Jesus Catholic Church and a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of VFW Post 483. Rita and Gilly spent summers at their home on Silver Lake in Hollis, NH, where they were known for always having a stocked bar, delicious treats, and cutthroat games of cards, cribbage, and Scrabble.
Following Gilly’s death in 1985, Rita became a snowbird, spending winters in Northridge Citrus Hills in Hernando, FL and summers on Silver Lake. While in Florida, she became an active parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Beverly Hills, volunteered at the Ted Williams Museum, and enjoyed spending time with her wide circle of friends.
After a long widowhood, Rita again found love and companionship with her old friend Elie J Labombarde, whom she married in 2001. Rita and Elie had many great adventures together, often setting out for weekend trips to destinations throughout New England and beyond. They continued to split the year between New Hampshire and Florida, where they visited regularly with many friends and family members from near and far.
Rita loved country music, a good cocktail, sitting in the sun and watching her family and friends play in the lake. She was a doting grandmother to her three grandchildren, delighting in teaching them her favorite games. She had a soft spot for small dogs and she was always up for getting together and having fun. She had an uncanny luck when it came to games and always seemed to get the cut she needed. Her door was always open, and she made all her visitors feel welcome. She was always the life of the party, and she will be missed.
Rita is survived by her son, David Desrosiers, Sr., two grandsons, David Desrosiers, Jr., and Jeffrey Desrosiers, granddaughter Cerissa Desrosiers and her wife Jessica Hannon, and her great-granddaughter Phoebe Desrosiers. Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Amy and Ernest (Babe) Willette, her husbands Gilbert (Gilly) Desrosiers and Elie J. Labombarde, her sister, Claire Willette Pugh, and her daughter, Doris R. Desrosiers.
SERVICES: There are no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. John XXIII Parish at Infant Jesus Church, 121 Allds Street, Nashua, Saturday morning, February 20th at 10:30 a.m. Family and friends are invited to attend and will gather at the church. Interment will take place in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Home Health & Hospice Care, 7 Executive Park Drive, Merrimack, NH 03054. Arrangements are in the care of the FARWELL FUNERAL SERVICE, 18 Lock Street, Nashua. (603) 882-0591. www.farwellfuneralservice.com
