Rita Geiger Swanteck, 91, passed away peacefully on February 23, 2020. Rita was born in the Bronx, New York on January 19, 1929 to George and Georgiana Geiger. She spent most of her life on Long Island, then the west coast of Florida, and ultimately in Houston. She is survived by her daughters, Georgene Campbell Grennan and Nanci Campbell Bauerle-Kelly and 7 grandchildren: Ryan, Lauren, Kristen, Jonathan, Kimberley, Zachary and Travis. Rita also has 5 great-grandchildren, Aiden, Jackson, Kate, Blake and Molly. Rita is preceded in death by her youngest daughter, April Swanteck Doscher and grandson William Grennan.

Having grown up during the Depression and WWII, Rita was a very robust and resilient woman. She was amazingly handy. Rita could fix anything! She was a painter, wallpaper hanger, plumber, electrician carpenter, gardener, as well as an excellent cook. Rita was particularly fond of sewing, creating her own clothes. She claimed it was a matter of necessity, as she was nearly 6 feet tall and standard lengths were very "skimpy" on the arms and legs. She enjoyed making special matching dresses for her girls as well.

Rita was also very artistic and crafty. Never having had any formal training, she had a natural gift as a talented artist. She particularly enjoyed painting with watercolors and pastels on canvas, capturing lovely landscapes and animals.

Rita had a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh. She had a great self-deprecating sense of humor and was able to laugh at her faults – and with her thick New York accent, everyone knew when Rita was near. She was a "toughie" who told it like it was – whether someone wanted to hear it or not!