Gail Beattie

Rita Eugenie Marie Dods (nee Hudon) April 13, 1931 - August 27, 2023 RITA DODS, known as “Mom” or “Grammy” to her treasured loved ones and extended family, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2023, with loving family and friends at her side, at the age of 92, after a brief battle with leukemia. She braved it all with her infectious smile to the end. Rita was born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, the youngest of eight children born to Léa and Joseph Hudon. She always said that she was the caboose and “they saved the best for last”. The family moved to Victoria in 1943 where her Dad accepted work as a blacksmith. Rita, her sister Térèse, Mum, Dad, Grandfather and Uncle all resided together, supported with additional income from their family-run boarding house. Rita loved attending school at Esquimalt Secondary. Her dream was to be a nurse but, as her mother became ill and required assistance with the boarding house tasks, she was forced to drop out of school in Grade 10, sadl…