Marguerite Dyer

Marguerite "Rita" Dyer was born Jan. 14, 1924 in Beaver, OK. The daughter of Clyde & Edna Green weighed only 3 ½ lbs. at birth. She joined 2 older half-brothers, Bob & Scott.

"Margie," as she was known as a child, showed an early inclination to music. Her aunt Eva was her music teacher starting at age 5. After high school, Rita attended Amarillo Junior College then the University of Oklahoma. She graduated from OU with 3 degrees: a Bachelor's in Music Education & in Music (with a concentration in piano & organ), & a Master's in Music with a minor in Voice.

At the University of Oklahoma, she met her first husband, Sterling Ebel, thru music. They married in 1945 then moved to Los Angeles in 1946. Rita worked at the University of Southern California in secretarial roles then began her music teaching career in 1957. Her first daughter, Sydne, was born in Los Angeles in 1955.

Rita & Sterling divorced in 1960, then in 1962 she married Curt Mitchell, a carpenter for the LA City Schools. Curt gave her the nickname Rita that she chose to go by for the rest of her life. Their daughter, Meara, was born in 1965. Although Rita was raised in the Methodist church, she & Curt attended First Baptist Church of Van Nuys after their marriage, and she placed her faith in Jesus as her personal Savior.

When Rita retired from teaching in 1980, the family moved to the San Diego area. She worked again in secretarial positions & as choir director/organist at several churches. She also became a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant & introduced Meara to the company that would become Meara's career. After Curt died from cancer in 1982, Rita pursued her dream of traveling & helped a travel-agent friend lead several tour groups on cruises to Alaska & one through the Panama Canal.

Thru Rita's involvement in Eastern Star, she met Paul Dyer, a widower & retired Navy officer. After a short courtship, they married on Jan. 1, 1988 in Las Vegas and moved to that city in 1990. Rita played at several local wedding chapels & again was organist/choir director at different churches. Paul passed away from cancer in 1998. In 2000, Rita decided she wanted to live closer to family, so she moved to Austin, TX to live with Meara, her husband Brian & their blended household of 3 teenage boys.

Rita underwent open-heart surgery in 2004 to replace her aortic valve. Other health issues developed, so Rita's wide range of activities started to diminish. By the time the family moved to Aurora in 2008, her health kept her at home the majority of the time.
Due to Rita's numerous chronic health issues, the family agreed to place her under the care of Denver Hospice in June 2011. Rita battled numerous health issues with courage, humor, & dignity until she finally let go of this life on "All Saints Day," November 1, 2012.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Marguerite "Rita" Dyer may be made to Denver Hospice, 501 S. Cherry St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246 or www.thedenverhospice.org.

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