Rita Barron

RITA BARRON Vinton Rita Walsh Barron, 84, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton following a brief illness. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Vinton, with Father Ardel Barta as celebrant. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home, with a vigil service beginning at 7 p.m. Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton. Rita was born Feb. 9, 1930, in Williamsburg, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Kathryn Kelly Walsh. She graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1947 and went on to the University of Iowa, graduating in 1951 with a B.A. degree in food and nutrition. She completed her dietetic internship at Good Samaritan Hospital and became a licensed and registered dietician on Sept. 1, 1952. Rita was a dietician at Virginia Gay Hospital and the Annex, the Vinton Lutheran Home and three other area nursing homes, retiring in 1991. Following her retirement, she stayed active on three resident advocate committees at Cedar Valley Ranch, the Vinton Lutheran Home and Rock Ridge Residential Care in Shellsburg. On Oct. 4, 1952, Rita was united in marriage with Charles W. "Bill" Barron at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Williamsburg. He preceded her in death on July 7, 1995. Rita was the driving force behind the benches in downtown Vinton. She purchased the first bench in memory of her husband, Bill, and the project blossomed from there. Rita was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Vinton and was active in Altar & Rosary Rita was a member of the University of Iowa Alumni Association and Alpha Delta Pi ? Chapter AB Alumni. During her career, she was a member of the Iowa Dietetic Association, a consultant for the Dietician in the Health Care Facilities Association and the American Dietetic Association, of which she achieved lifetime membership. She was a past board member for the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, Benton County Heart Association, Virginia Gay Foundation and the St. Mary Catholic Church R.E. board. She also was active in AAUW, the New Century Club, Mentor Literature Club, and on the committee for the Vinton High School Hall of Fame. In 2001, Rita was nominated for KCRG's "Show You Care" award for volunteerism. In 2003, she was honored as an Outstanding Regional Advocate Volunteer by the Heritage Area Agency on Aging in Cedar Rapids, and, that same year, received the Governor's Volunteer Award by the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs. In 2009, Rita was named Vinton's Woman of the Year. Rita enjoyed world travel, family vacations and spending time entertaining the family at "Grandma and Grandpa's cabin" on Lake Delhi. Rita is survived by her children, Barb (Ig) Butera of Independence, Nancy (Richard) Farmer of Vinton and Mike (Rhonda) Barron of Vinton; nine grandchildren: Liz, Kelly, Jennie, Matt, Emily, Scott, Abby, Rachel and Sarah; 13 great-grandchildren; one sister, Helen Van Steenhuyse of Des Moines; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one brother, John Walsh; and one granddaughter, Margaret Butera. A memorial fund has been established. Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Rita and her family. Condolences may be left at www.vsrfh.com.