Rita Cecilia Foster

Our dear mom, grandma, aunt and friend Rita Johnson passed away peacefully on July 31, 2024 in Salem, Oregon.

Rita Cecilia Foster was born on October 25, 1931 in Los Angeles, California, the tenth of thirteen children. When she was very young her family moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. After graduating from Mt. Angel Academy she moved to Salem. She met Glen Johnson in an ice cream shop and, in her own words, she “immediately knew he was the guy for me.” They married November 10, 1955 and settled in south Salem. They had four sons, Norman, Ronald, Russell and Michael, who died shortly after his birth.

Hard work was a value she instilled in her sons from an early age. When Norm, Ron and Russ were very young, she took them to the farm that is now Minto Brown park and they started picking beans. They worked there every summer until they were old enough to get another job.

Rita lived a life of service. She cooked for and cared for her husband and her boys. She tried new recipes every day, many of which we all still make. She and Glen supported their sons in their various sports and interests. She went to work part time for the State of Oregon after the boys were all in school, but never left home before making sure dinner was ready to serve on her way out the door. After she retired, she began volunteering at Salem Hospital, where she gave more than 13,000 hours of her time!

Rita helped raise her seven grandkids.  Cherished time was spent in Salem and on trips in the motorhome. She and Glen cared for and attended events of their granddaughters who lived nearby. Those who lived in Utah looked forward to week-long summer vacations with Grandma Rita and Grandpa Glen. She made meals and treats, took them to rodeos and the coast, and taught them how to play cards and dice.

Rita was incredibly frugal yet extraordinarily generous. She hated shopping but never missed a chance to buy her grandkids something they needed. She was sharp as a tack until the end. For many years she worked the crossword puzzle in the paper every day and during the last years of her life she played the Wordle and the mini on her phone. She remembered birthdates and sent cards to her friends and family. Rita lived an exceptionally active life. She walked at the park and all over Salem. She kept dumbbells on the living room table that she lifted while watching TV. She hit the gym three times a week right up until her lung cancer diagnosis.

Rita was a devoted Catholic all her life. As a little girl, she learned mass in Latin. She took her sons to Bible camp during the summer. She attended and contributed at Queen of Peace Catholic Church and later at Saint Edward Catholic Church. She believed in the power of prayer and lived Jesus’ admonition to love your neighbor as yourself.

A few years after Glen died she moved to Willamette Lutheran Retirement Community where she continued serving others. She would carry meal trays to ill residents, make their beds, and would often fetch walkers for others after mealtimes. She made popcorn for the community every week and hung posters each night announcing the next day’s activities. Ron wishes to express special thanks to her dear friend Ketti and her granddaughter Kim for the extraordinary care and kindness they provided during the last several years of her life.

We will miss her wit and smiles and will forever be grateful for the memories we made with her.

Rita is preceded in death by her beloved husband Glen Darrell and baby boy Michael Ray; her parents, Charles Foster and Frances Kanowsky and her 12 siblings. Rita is survived by her three sons: Norman (Jean), Ronald, Russell (Stacey); seven grandchildren: Amy, Michael, Tarra, Kimberly, Rebecca, Carrie, Mary; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Interment will be at Willamette National Cemetery beside husband Glen.