Rita Frances (Geier) King

Rita Frances King (nee Geier) passed away quietly in her sleep on Saturday January 6th, with her family by her side. Born on Halloween Day in 1921, Rita was 102-years-old.

On a recent trip to the hospital, she joked with the physicians that a secret to her longevity was “staying out of hospitals”. Rita was active and of sound mind up to the moment of her death, and enjoyed playing cards with her friends at Juniper Manor, watching the Buffalo Bills and savoring the occasional glass of wine and less occasional Limburger Cheese, Red Onion and Rye Bread sandwich (although if available, Pumpernickel would be her first choice of bread). A devout Catholic, Rita was a long-time congregant of St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Trumansburg.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Rita was the youngest and last surviving member of her immediate family of 13 children. She is survived by her five children: Tim (Mindy), Pat (Beverly), John (Renee), Dan (Andrea, Sharon) and Mary (Jeff); and her 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was married to the love of her life, Patrick J. King from 1948 until his untimely death in 1960. As a single parent with five children between the ages of 1 and 11, Rita supported her young family by working in the cafeteria at Trumansburg Elementary School. In the late 1960s, Rita went to work at the Tompkins County Health Department, eventually becoming the Registrar of Vital Records. Her signature can still be found on the numerous birth and death certificates of local residents from that time. She retired from the Health Department in 1986. Rita was always active in the community, as a Scout and 4-H Leader, working on Trumansburg’s 1972 Centennial Committee, helping at the Gemm Shoppe, and running the Trumansburg Food Bank for many years. She moved into Juniper Manor around 2007, where she developed and maintained a close network of friends and fellow card sharks. She loved her community there, and often said that the country needs more places like Juniper Manor for its aging population.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, in Rita’s memory, please consider donations to Parish of Mary Mother of Mercy, St. James the Apostle Church online or at 3660 Orchard St., PO Box 403, Interlaken, NY 14847; or Hospicare, online or at 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.

A Mass will be held at St. James the Apostle Church in Trumansburg at 1:30 on Saturday, May 11, 2024. It will be immediately followed by a gathering at the Falls Tavern.