DARTMOUTH — Rita (Gingras) Whiteside, 80, of Dartmouth, died Saturday, November 26, 2011, after a long illness. She was the beloved wife of John F. Whiteside - they had been married 53 years.
Born in Detroit, MI, Rita was the oldest daughter of the late Armand and Eva (Courtemanche) Gingras. She lived most of her life in Dartmouth.
Rita worked at SMU/UMASS Dartmouth for over twenty-five years for the Faculty Federation, in Admissions, Housing and Dining, and as the Administrative Assistant to Donald E. Walker, President of SMU. Rita was also a secretary to numerous commissions and committees in the Town of Dartmouth, including the Conservation Commission, Industrial Development Commission, School Building Committee and the Charter Commission. She was one of the original members of the Friends of the Dartmouth Library as the secretary where she ran many book sales. Rita enjoyed being a walking tour guide at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
Survivors include her husband; her son, John F. Whiteside, Jr. and his wife Rosa Amaral of New Bedford; her daughter, Leigh (Whiteside) Lattuca and her husband Patrick Lattuca of Tiverton, RI; two sisters, Pauline (Gingras) Halloran of Cohassett, MA and Louise (Gingras) Markey and her husband Deacon Paul Markey of Billerica, MA; her sister-in-law Ann Gingras of Los Angeles, CA, wife of Paul Gingras (deceased); her cousin, Sr. Michelle Authier, RJM; two grandchildren, Chloe and Amber Lattuca of Tiverton, RI; several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 AM at St. Julie's Church, North Dartmouth. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Monday from 5-8 PM at the Wilson Funeral Chapel, 479 County St., New Bedford.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011, http://www.alz.org/