O’Donnell, Rita Mary (nee Rider) age 67 passed away on April 2, 2022. Preceded in
death by daughter, Sarah; parents, Cecil and Mary; step-father, Clarence Anderson;
and brother, Charles. Survived by loving husband of 49 years, David; children, David
(Sheila) and Rick (Kelly); grandchildren, Claire, Carli, Danick and Marek; siblings,
Patrick (Astride), Michael (Jolene), Mercedes (Gary), Timothy (Therese), Terence,
Denis (Mary Pat), Gregory (Tanya) and Robert; many nieces, nephews, extended
relatives and friends. Visitation Thursday, April 7th 4-7 p.m. at Gill Brothers Funeral
Home 5801 Lyndale Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN. Private interment at Lakewood
Cemetery. 
Rita was born and raised in south Minneapolis, attended Incarnation Grade School and
graduated in 1972 from Regina High School. After earning her nursing degree at
Minneapolis Community & Technical College she worked for 25 years at Hennepin
County Medical Center in Minneapolis where she was head nurse on a
medical/surgical/oncology unit. She was a fierce and relentless advocate for both her
patients and her fellow nurses. She was respected and highly regarded throughout the
hospital and beyond.
Rita enjoyed her retirement years by spending winters in Palm Springs, CA and
summers by the river in Grantsburg, WI. Her passions included Gopher hockey, the MN
Twins, gardening, decorating her home, and spending time with the people she loved.
Her greatest joy was being Nana to her 4 grandchildren. She was funny and brave and
tackled every task and challenge that came her way,
Our Rita will be forever loved and missed.
Memorials preferred to the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/en/) and
the American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/)