Rita Fredericka (Sage) Proctor

7/3/17 - 12/2/15

Einan's at Sunset

Rita Proctor peacefully passed away December 2, 2015 at the age of 98.  She was born July 3, 1917 in Rummerfield, PA, the youngest child of Fred and Maybelle (Landmesser) Sage.  She attended Fisher School in Rummerfield, a two-room school that housed grades 1-8.  She graduated from Towanda High School then attended Beauty College in Elmira, NY.  After graduation, she worked as a beautician, taught at the school, and eventually opened her own beauty shop in Horseheads, NY.  Eventually she sold her business and moved to Poughkeepsie, NY, to work for IBM.  

On March 8, 1952, Rita married Elbert Proctor at Camp Lejeune, NC.  They remained in North Carolina a few months after Elbert was discharged from the Marine Corps.  In late October of that year, they moved to Poughkeepsie, where Rita returned to work at IBM.

Rita worked at IBM until late June of 1953 when company policy required her to quit because of her pregnancy.  She gave birth to her only child, a daughter, in December. Rita was a stay-at-home mother until her daughter was a freshman in high school.  

The Proctors moved to Apex, NC, in 1965.  Rita first worked as a teachers' aide at A.V. Baucom Elementary School in Apex and in 1967 she returned to work at IBM.

In 1970 the Proctors moved to Catlett, VA.  Rita retired from IBM as an expeditor in July of 1979.  She enjoyed volunteering, gardening, ceramics, reading and was an active member of the Greenwich Presbyterian Church.  In 1997, Rita and Elbert moved to Richland to be closer to their only child.

Rita was preceded in death by her sisters: Eva Clagett and Leila Newbury; and her great-nephew, Mark Newbury.  She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Elbert; her daughter, Drew of Kennewick, WA; niece, Donna (Carl) Rehfeldt of Towanda, PA; nephew, Kent (Janet) Newbury of Lincoln Park, NJ; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

The family would like to thank Dr. Julie Raekes, who took such good care of Rita for so many years; the third-floor staff of the Orchard Pavilion at Kadlec Hospital who provided excellent care and invaluable assistance in transitioning Rita from living at home to Life Care; and last but not least, the staff at Life Care of Richland who took such good care of Rita and her family.  

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to either the American Diabetes Foundation or the American Heart Association.