Mrs. Rita Thigpen

Anastasia Rita Garvin Thigpen, 84, of Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community, was welcomed into the Church Triumphant on Friday October 16. On November 5 she would have celebrated 65 years of marriage to Luther B. Thigpen, who survives her. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her four children and their spouses, Doug and his wife Fran of Swannanoa, Gail Israel and her husband Lonnie of Candler, John and his wife Kelli of Rock Hill, SC and Patty Champion and her husband David of Hixson, TN, as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She joins another great-grandchild, precious Ashton, among the heavenly host. Rita treasured her strong Catholic faith and was exceedingly proud of her Irish ancestry. The eldest of ten children, she loved the times when the Garvins and their families gathered for reunions and other joyous occasions. She is a graduate of Mt. de Sales Academy of Macon, Ga. and the nursing program at AB Tech, where she became a Registered Nurse. Rita and Luther made their home in various places in the South as a result of his employment in the newspaper industry. Beginning in Macon, Ga. where they were both born, they moved to Augusta and then Atlanta before settling in Asheville in 1965, where Luther served as Executive Editor of the Citizen-Times. In 1980 Luther was named Publisher of the Clarksville, Tennessee Leaf-Chronicle and Rita immersed herself in community improvement there. She was instrumental in the establishment of Clarksville’s Hospice program and served seven years as its Chairman of the Board. After Luther’s retirement as Publisher, they moved back to Asheville to be near their children and grandchildren. The family wishes to express its deep appreciation to the dedicated staff at Deerfield for their unfailing attention to Rita’s needs and wants, and to the people of CarePartners Hospice for their loving assistance in her final days. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19 at Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Avenue, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Eugene Catholic Church, 72 Culvern Street, Asheville, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20 with Father Pat Cahill officiating. Memorials in Rita’s honor may be made to CarePartners Hospice Foundation, PO Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813 or to a charity of one’s choice.

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Mrs. Rita Thigpen

January 2, 1931 - October 16, 2015