Rita C. McGowan of Weymouth, formerly of Quincy, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 15th surrounded by her loving family.

Rita was born in the Bayside neighborhood of Queens, NY to Mary “Gertrude” (Hicks) and Daniel Francis Lyons. In her teens, her family moved to Everett, Massachusetts. She attended Cheverus High School in Malden and graduated in the top ten of the Class of 1948 at Quincy High School. A chance meeting at the merry-go-round in Houghs Neck led to her marrying her beloved Bill McGowan after high school, and they made Quincy their home.

Here they raised eight children and shared fifty-nine years of memories together. Rita was devoted to being a wife and mother, and she also enjoyed working outside of the home. She had several jobs through the years as a receptionist and as a waitress, and she especially enjoyed her work as a dispatcher with the Quincy Police Department for many years. Working for the city and helping her community was important to her.

Rita was called to serve others and lived the gospel through her daily example. She was a devoted parishioner at St. Joesph’s Church in Quincy where she attended daily mass, served as a Eucharistic minister, provided communion services at 1000 Southern Artery, and visited the sick at nursing homes. She was also a longtime member of the St. Joseph’s Ladies Sodality. Rita’s generosity of her time, compassion and dedication to service was recognized by the Archdiocese of Boston when Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley presented her with the Cheverus Award in 2017. It was one of her proudest moments.

Rita was fair, loyal and honest, and she lived her life simply. She touched so many people with her generosity and her humble presence. This was evident during her brief final hospital stay when all of her children and most of her grandchildren visited her to show her that she was loved. She left this world with her ears filled with laughter as memories were shared and words of love were whispered to her. She will be dearly missed by her loved ones.

Her children will remember her for her love, guidance and as a true example of how to live a faith-filled life. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren will treasure her crocheted Christmas stockings and “feetie” Christmas pajamas, and most importantly her enduring love.

The family is so very thankful to her daughter Kathy and her son-in-law Joe Maykis for their loving care of Rita during the last year and a half of her life. They would also like to thank the staff at South Shore Hospital for their support and kindness during her hospital stay.

Beloved wife of fifty-nine years to the late William Henry “Bill” McGowan. Devoted mother to Anne Dalton and her husband John of Hingham, Tricia Ford and her husband George of Weymouth, Tom McGowan and his wife Linh of Canton, Joan Collins and her husband Steve of West Yarmouth, Edward McGowan and his wife Jayne of Braintree, Timothy McGowan and his wife Elizabeth of Weymouth, Kathy Maykis and her husband Joe of Weymouth, and Dan McGowan and his wife Jill of Amherst, NH. Nani to nineteen grandchildren and twenty-three great-grandchildren. Loving sister to Bernice Richardson of Punta Gorda, FL and the late Veronica Hickey, Vincent, Jerome and Gerald Lyons. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to the visiting hours on Wednesday, September 23rd from 4-8 PM at the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., Quincy. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, September 24th at 9:15 AM at the Keohane Funeral Home, prior to the Funeral Mass at 10 AM at St. Joseph’s Parish, Quincy. Burial at Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton.

Please see www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rita’s name may be made to St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, 556 Washington St., Quincy, MA or to the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, 40 Glen Avenue, Newton, MA.