Rita Ann Unger

Oct. 30, 1947 - April 15, 2025

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Rita Ann Unger, 77, of Los Angeles, passed away on April 15, 2025. She was born on Oct. 30, 1947, in Portland, Ore., to John and Florence Unger and was the second of nine children.

Rita was raised loving farm life in rural McCook, Neb. She attended St. Patrick’s School and graduated with the McCook High School class of 1965. She began her college education at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Home Economics from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

After graduation, Rita served with the Peace Corps in Bogota, Columbia. Upon her return, she taught Home Economics in Herndon, Kan., while living with her maternal grandmother, Anna Weishapl.

Rita was an accomplished artist and blessed each of her siblings and nieces and nephews with her acrylic paintings. Some of her paintings have been donated to the 6th Floor Project at the Keystone in McCook. She was also an accomplished musician and played piano, guitar and dulcimer. She enjoyed live jazz concerts weekly while living in Los Angeles. Rita was also an avid reader, reading books of all genres. The Dodgers were her favorite baseball team, and she was a very enthusiastic fan.

In the 1970s, Rita lived in Boulder, Colo., where she performed folk music with a foursome group, The Heartstrings. She worked as a masseuse in Washington D.C. and from there she moved to Los Angeles where she lived for nearly 40 years until her passing.

During the summer of 2024, Rita experienced the most treasured trip of her entire lifetime. She traveled to Europe with her youngest sister, Judi as her tour guide, visiting France and Spain.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, John and Florence (Weishapl) Unger; brother-in-law, Don Lucas; niece, Hali Ann Evans Maslyn; and nephew, Jeffrey Wayne Johnson.

Rita’s eight siblings are left to celebrate her life; David Unger, Jane Bell, Mary Unger, Anne (Kent) Confer, Rose Lucas, Sara Unger, Lori Reinke, and Judi Unger. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and many friends who all brought her great joy.

Rita will be remembered for her kindness, devotion to her family and unwavering spirit. She will live on in her artwork as well as her love of music.

A private ceremony honoring her wishes will be held at a later date.