Obituary of Rita Barnard

Rita Barnard, 86, of Somers and formerly of Bolton, loving wife of Norman Barnard, passed away at her home on Monday, July 11, 2022. Born in Switzerland in 1935, she later moved to England before making her home in Bolton, Connecticut. She worked at Kramer & Kramer, where she met Norman in 1960, they were married a year later and would go on to celebrate 61 years of marriage.

Rita was active in politics and religion, she went to college and taught herself English and became a U.S. Citizen in 1972. She worked at the Institute of Living in Hartford for many years, where she was a cooking instructor. She was a lover of animals and had many cats throughout her years. Rita also enjoyed the beach, biking, bowling, and staying active.

Rita had a very strong support system that she cherished. She was loving, compassionate and encouraging. Her positive outlook on life was infectious. She shared her wisdom with everyone she met. She lived by the motto “One day at a time”. Rita was one of a kind and will be so missed by her family and friends.

Rita leaves behind her husband Norman, daughters Monique Barnard, Darby Kwasnik and Dawn Raposa; son-in-law Brian Kwasnik; grandchildren Danielle, Jessica, Manny, Morgan, Josh and Rachel; great grandchildren Nathan, Kayla, Kaiya, Dominic and Maggie; nephew Walter Jabob and his wife Nancy, as well as many relatives in Switzerland.

Family and friends may call on the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 W. Center St., Manchester, on Thursday, July 14^th, 2022, from 2-5 p.m., with a funeral home service immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at www.bcrf.org.