Rita Glancey
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rita A. Glancey.
Rita was a devoted wife of 61 years to Gerald, and a proud mother to four children; Vicky Doerr (Mike Doerr), Greg Glancey (Alona Eje), Kathleen Glancey (Christopher Rexroat), Brian Glancey (Kathleen), and eight grandchildren; Amanda (27), Nick (24), Collin (23), Aidan (21), Lance (20), Brianna (19), Camille (17), Margot (14).
Rita was a graduate of Pulaski High School, Class of 1959, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She worked multiple positions within the Muskego-Norway School System, most notably at the Bay Lane Middle School library, where she worked as the library aide for many years.
Rita enjoyed caring for her grandchildren, and would travel to Franklin, Milwaukee, Chicago, California, and Boston to soak up time with them. Family meant the world to Rita, and she opened her home to numerous backyard picnics, potluck dinners and holiday parties for extended family, where her delicious homemade apple squares and rhubarb concoctions were featured. Rita loved her home in the country, spending time outdoors with her children, cross country skiing in the winter, picking wild raspberries in the summer, and canning organic vegetables straight from the garden. Many would recall how Rita was like a second mom to her children’s friends and loved to talk and laugh with them. Everyone was welcomed in her home and was promptly offered a bite to eat, a cold drink and a compassionate ear.
For many years, Rita was an avid golfer and helped organize several golf outings with her sisters and friends. Rita loved to bowl, and famously appeared on the television show, Bowling for Dollars. She loved to go thrifting for vintage clothing, and never passed up a rummage sale, where she chatted up the owners and patiently listened to their stories. She was very creative, which was evident in her custom-made cakes, such as the Suzie Q and the red velvet, and her knack for sewing many ensembles for herself and her girls, including the one-of-a-kind hand sewn swimsuits.
She would light up the room and diffuse tension with her sense of humor and sudden bursts of singing. Her love of musicals led her to volunteer at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater as an usher, and she often took her grandchildren to shows at local theaters. She loved to dance, especially the polka. Every Sunday, Rita attended mass and went out for breakfast with a tight group of friends. Rita was athletic and spent countless hours at the gym practicing yoga, swimming, and doing any aerobic exercises with her sisters.
Rita was very social and had many friends, but her best friends were her six sisters. They were very close, sometimes spoke in rapid pig latin, and had special nicknames for one another; Rita Ragataga, 40 Days Rain! The regular weekly visits with her sisters, especially toward the end of her life, brought her immense joy and happiness. Rita cherished these moments that were filled with laughter, birthday celebrations, and stories of their youth. Our hearts ache with this loss, but we find comfort in the memories of her boundless kindness, generosity, and quick-witted humor.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, from 10:00 AM until the time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 Noon at ST. MARTIN OF TOURS CATHOLIC CHURCH, (7963 S. 116th Street, Franklin).
Church & Chapel Funeral Service Serving the Family
Milw. 262-827-0659 Wauk. 262-549-0659
Online Obit, Condolences, Directions
www.churchandchapel.com