Rita K. Anderson

May 2, 1955 - December 30, 2019

Rita Katherine Anderson (previously Crow, nee Rawlings) of Annapolis, MD known to friends and family as “Rita”, “Puss”, and “Kathy”, and to her grandsons as “Gigi”, passed away peacefully on Dec. 30, 2019 at the age of 64 after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s. She is survived by her devoted husband of 15 years Samuel (“Sam”) Anderson; daughter Catherine (“Cathilee”) and husband Barrett (“Barry”); grandchildren Carter and Zachary Gibson; father William Irvine Rawlings Sr., brothers William Irvine Rawlings Jr., Wayne Rawlings and Kevin Rawlings, sisters Linda Senft and Hope Hallock, as well as her many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She also leaves behind many friends who loved her dearly, especially her best friend Kathleen Crow “Puss”. The two “Pusses” were inseparable and Puss remained devoted to her best friend all through her long illness. Rita was born and raised in the Annapolis area, and loved being on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. She graduated from Southern High School in 1971, married her high school sweetheart Lester L. Crow (“Lee”) and welcomed her only child, Cathilee, when she was 17. Rita was an excellent seamstress and often sold her handmade crafts until her rheumatoid arthritis made it too painful to sew. She was also known to all for her “can do” attitude, enthusiasm for life, generosity, humor, adventurous spirit, and straw farts. Her doors were always open for friends and family, and her home was always filled with laughter. She loved a good party, and the ones she hosted were always memorable! She perfected the art of being both the host and the life of the party. You can’t hear a Jimmy Buffet song without thinking of Rita or Mambo No. 5 without screaming Rita at the line “A little bit of Rita is all I need”. Rita met the love of her life when she was introduced to Sam and they were married on August 13th, 2005 in a beautiful waterfront ceremony in Pasadena, MD. They moved to her dream house near the water and enjoyed travelling and boating together. She and Sam continued to host parties and loved having friends and family over. Their Christmas Eve parties and summer BBQs were not to be missed. Just a few short years after marrying her soul mate, Rita was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. She fought to stay herself for as long as she could and tried to protect her family from the toll the tragic disease takes. Sadly, the amazing woman Rita was slowly started to fade away until she no longer remembered who she was. But even when the disease robbed her of her speech and awareness of the world around her, there were times when her beautiful spirit could not be contained and you could see the old Rita shine through - a loving smile at her adoring husband, Sam, a mischievous smirk with her partner-in-crime, Puss, a shared giggle with her grandsons Carter and Zach, or a delighted expression when Cathilee would bring her chocolate. This will be a true celebration “MyRITAville” style, beach attire requested. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following: https://www.hospicechesapeake.org/giving/ https://act.alz.org/