Rita Murray-Ansley

Rita Darlene (Murry) Ansley was born on March 28, 1945, in Houston, Texas, to Clarence Murry and Willie Ethel Murry. In 1961, the family moved from Houston to San Diego, California, where Rita would spend the remainder of her life.

Rita was the eldest of four children. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Chary Elaine Murry Dixon (1947-2009) and Linda Kaye Murry Owens (1952-2022). She grew up as a guiding presence to her younger siblings, remembered especially by her brother, Andre E. Hardy (born 1961), for her protective nature and nurturing spirit.

A proud graduate of Lincoln High School in San Diego, Rita developed lifelong friendships and began shaping her path as a woman of faith, perseverance, and service.

In her early life, Rita shared a union with Leroy Baton Wesley Fountain, and together they welcomed two sons: Patrick Wayne Fountain (1965-2021) and Reginald Anthony Fountain. Later, on August 24, 1980, she married Booker Terry Ansley in San Diego, California.

Rita’s life was a testimony to her love of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was an active member of the 3 1st Street Seventh-day Adventist Church, where she found joy in worship, fellowship, and service. She was an evangelist at heart, never missing an opportunity to share her faith and encourage others in their walk with God. She faithfully attended church, lifted others through prayer, and always spoke with kindness that reflected the love of Christ.

Her faith was lived out in action. Rita loved to feed the homeless and minister to those in need, seeing Christ in every person she met. She was an avid reader of the Word of God and Christian literature, which deepened her wisdom and strengthened her witness.

Rita was known for her radiant spirit and spectacular smile. She had a rare gift for lighting up any room she entered, and people were drawn to her warmth, humor, and compassion. She made friends easily, and her gentle presence left lasting impressions on everyone blessed to know her.

Rita departed this life on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 8:16 p.m., in San Diego, the city she had called home for more than six decades.

She was preceded in death by her son Patrick Fountain, her parents Clarence and Willie Ethel Murry, her grandmother Lillian Hardeman, her sisters Charyl Dixon and Linda Owens, and her husband Booker Ansley.

She leaves to cherish her memory her son Reginald Anthony Fountain and his wife Delicia; her beloved grandchildren — Reginald “RJ,” Nathanael Liam, Andriana Sierra Aiyanna, Armond, Jaden, Ashley, and Malcom; her brother Andre Hardy and his wife JoAnna; a host of nieces and nephews; cousins; her church family; and countless friends.

Rita’s life was a shining light of faith, love, and service. As Proverbs 31:26 reminds us: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Though she will be deeply missed, her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the souls she inspired, and the family she loved so dearly.