Obituary: Rita Dianne Lowery Anderson

Rita Dianne Lowery Anderson passed away suddenly Friday, March 14. Rita was born in Oak Ridge on Jan. 10, 1952, to Helen Schultz Lowery and James Keith Lowery, long time residents of Oak Ridge.

Rita graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1970. She was a member of the Wildcat Band and Orchestra, where she played the flute. She was a member of the French Club, Biology Club, Oak Leaf Staff, and Leo Club.

She graduated from Fort Sanders School of Nursing in 1975 and received her B.S. in Nursing from Pennsylvania State University in 1989. She was a member of the Penn State Alumni Society.

She returned to Tennesssee in 1990 and worked at various health care facilities, where most recently she was a case manager with The Home Option. She had just started working as an advocate for retired nuclear workers in Oak Ridge. She was a dedicated registered nurse for 39 years. A very special thanks to everyone at The Home Option for their compassion and love at this time.

Rita was a very active presence in various Oak Ridge and area organizations and her passion was her music. She played with the Oak Ridge Community Band, sang with the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Choir, of which she was a long time and very active member. She also played with the Silverwinds Flute Choir. She was a founding member of EMBERS.

Rita is survived by her parents Helen and Keith Lowery, her husband William Anderson, daughter Aislin Kate Anderson, stepdaughter Jennifer-Dove Fehleen Anderson McLeod, her husband Jay McLeod and their son Walden, stepson David Anthony Wayne Anderson, sister Sandra Lowery Bold`u, her husband Jose` Luis Boldu’, niece Elena Bold`u-Lowery.

The Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 22, at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike at 5 p.m. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please make donations to ORUUC Choir, Oak Ridge Community Band, and Silverwinds Flute Choir.