Obituary of Rita A. Raboteau

In the early morning hours of Friday, July 27, 2012, Jesus, His Angels and Saints gently lifted His faithful and humble servant Rita Agatha (DeTiege) Raboteau into their blessed fold. Awaiting her arrival was her beloved husband of 47 years, Edgar Henry Raboteau. Our mother was born on January 18th, 1924 to David and Rita DeTiege in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. Mom had many struggles in her 88 years. She endured them all with faith, grace and dignity. She will always be fondly remembered for her devout faith, her crazy and endless sense of humor and wit. Mom will lovingly and forever be remembered for her devotion to family, her gentle, boundless and unconditional love. Mom was never one to judge. She was kind, compassionate, loyal and strong. Mom loved to whistle, and she did...like a bird. One gift each and every one who loves mom agrees with is that she had a unique way of making each and every one of us feel as though we were the most important person in her lifeand we ALL were. To be touched with the love of Rita, our mother, sister, caregiver and friend, was to be touched by an angel. Words can never convey how deeply we love our mom, sister, and friend. All who knew and loved her will never be the same. We will miss and mourn our loss forever. Mom was preceded in death by numerous brothers and sisters. She leaves to grieve her passing by children Kenneth Raboteau, Jeanette Raboteau (Arlo), Cynthia Pegram (Dan) and Cheryl Donaldson (Kirby), 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Rita is survived not only by her children, but also her brothers Maurice (Flora) and Edward DeTiege, sisters Laura Livingston and Cleo Glennmany nieces and nephews throughout the United States. Special thanks to Louise Peterson, who gave our mom great care and friendship as her in-home nurse for the past year. Thank you Louise! Sincere thanks to the staff of Heartwood Extended Health Care Facility (Emerald Ward) for the caring and professional care provided to our mom in her final weeks. Mom's viewing will be at Piper-Morley-Mellinger Funeral Home, 5436 S. Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington on Monday, August 6, 2012 from 11:00am - 5:00pm. Mom's funeral service will be Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 12:00pm, also at Piper-Morley. Burial will follow at Tahoma National Cemetery at 2:15pm, where she will be put to rest with her beloved husband. Donations in her memory can be made to your local Alzheimer's or Dementia charity. For those of you who can join us, we will gather at AMVETS, 56th and Tyler in Tacoma, for a gathering of family and friends. Cheryl, Kirby, Andrew and Kaden, our precious familythe love and care you shared with mom for the past 7 years were selfless and unbelievable. As family we are forever grateful and appreciative. We recognize the significance of your faithful contribution. Thank you! Rest in peace in Heaven Mom