On Saturday afternoon, October 4, 2014, Rita Anne Porter of St. Charles passed away at UM Charles Regional Medical Center due to complications from breast cancer. She was 73. Rita was born and raised in Franklin, Pennsylvania, where she was the Valedictorian of her high school class. The second of two children of Dale and Eleanor Fleming, she married her high school sweetheart. A few years afterwards they moved to the Washington DC area where she raised their three children while he worked for the DC Highway department and eventually as a surveyor. Her first marriage ended in divorce. Her second marriage was to Ross H. Porter, from Toronto, Canada who also had three children. He was a naturalized U.S. citizen, a 26 year Air Force veteran and retired as a civilian working at Patuxent River NAS.

Rita worked for nearly thirty years at the U.S. Postal Service Federal Credit Union in Camp Springs where she was a Personal Service Representative. Her dedication to the members and love of doing her job well put her in a position of training many of the associates there over the years. Her co-workers were like an extended family, and while she could have retired years ago, Rita was still employed there at the time of her death.

A committed Christian, she was a charter member of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in St. Charles where she has worshiped for the last 47 years. Rita was leader in the United Methodist Women's Group and part of the Altar Guild. If there was an event going on, Rita was sure to be participating with characteristic energy and humor. That included annual Relay for Life events with a team from church. She was a proud 35 year breast cancer survivor. With a beautiful alto voice, music was a central part of her life. At church, she sang in the choir and played hand bells. In the community, she and Ross were vital members of the Stained Glass Blue Grass band that played in area churches, nursing homes and events hosting practice in their garage for years.

She had the opportunity to travel quite a bit in Europe, spending a couple of years living in Germany and a few years in Belgium while Ross was in the Air Force. Later they travelled to Alaska, Canada, Hawaii where they had family and China among other places. After Ross' death, she still had places to see so went to the Christmas markets in Germany and a river trip in Europe. Her travels also included a number of mission trips with the church out west and to Juarez, Mexico.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents James Dale Fleming and Eleanor Palmer, her step-father, Lester Palmer, her brother James and her first husband William Jones. She suffered the loss of her step-son Raymond Porter in 1995 and the death of her husband, Ross, in 2005.

She is survived by her children Deborah Jones of Las Vegas, Nevada, Steven Jones of Chesapeake Beach, and Robert Jones of Waldorf, her step-daughter Debra Porter of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren all of whom she treasured.

The family will accept visitors at the Huntt Funeral Home, 3035 Old Washington Road in Waldorf on Wednesday, October 8 between 2 and 4pm and again between 6 and 8pm. A memorial service will be held at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in St. Charles at 10am on Thursday October 9th.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like memorial contributions to be sent to Good Shepherd United Methodist Church located at 305 Smallwood Drive, Waldorf MD 20602. Arrangements provided by Huntt Funeral Home.