Rita Jameson

Rita Jameson, 82, of Oshkosh passed away Saturday afternoon, December 3, 2022 at Regional West Garden County Nursing Home in Oshkosh.

Per her wishes, cremation has taken place and a service will be announced in the future.

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Oshkosh is serving Rita’s family.

Family and friends can leave condolences at www.bondegardfunerals.com.

Rita was born to Beatrice Marie and John James Piro on July 17, 1940, in Sacramento, California.  Two years later, her sister Jo Ann joined the family.  Rita spent her childhood mainly in Southern California but also lived in the Las Vegas area of Nevada for a time.  She was a graduate of Rosary High School in San Diego in 1958.  After graduating high school, Rita obtained a Key Punch Operator certificate and worked in the administration offices of Marsten’s Department Stores and Speedy Ink in downtown San Diego. 

After her first marriage, Rita then relocated to Garden Grove, California, where she raised her family.  After her two children began school, Rita started working part-time for the City of Garden Grove in the Accounting Department.  Eventually, she was promoted to Payroll Technician for the entire city.  Rita’s meticulous attention to detail and strong work ethic made her quite good at this enormous job and she spent almost 26 years in this position. 

While working for the City of Garden Grove, she met the love of her life, James L. Jameson and they married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 16, 1981.  She and Jim chose to relocate to Oshkosh after retirement in April 1996.  Jim had lived in Oshkosh in his youth and has many family ties here.  He was a graduate of Garden County High School in 1953.  Immediately upon moving to Oshkosh, Rita was embraced by the community and Oshkosh instantly became home for her. 

For her entire adult life, Rita surrounded herself with beautiful things.  She was an avid and accomplished gardener and this was reflected in the landscaping of every home she lived in.  She was an artistic and creative person who expressed herself in many different ways including crafting and painting and most recently in the beautiful barn quilts she made. 

Rita was a truly tender-hearted person who was especially moved by those in need and this of course included her love of animals.  She has probably trapped, spayed, and neutered the bulk of the stray cats in town and personally raised and fed her own garage cats for over 10 years.  Many people will remember her late companion, Ripley, the Dachsund with whom she spent more than 15 years and who was a beloved member of the family. 

Rita was an active person who wasn’t content to sit.  She led exercise class at the Senior Center and was often seen walking around town or out gardening in her yard.  She was a great friend and someone you could count on whether it was to help at a bake sale, serve at the Senior Center, or drive a van load of ladies to a Garden Club event.  Rita dedicated herself to the Garden Club (for 25 years!), the Library, the Senior Center, and the Nursing Home during her time in Oshkosh.  She met and befriended so many people here whom she loved and who in turn loved her.  The people of Oshkosh meant a great deal to her and it was her wish to remain here throughout her brief illness.

As she lost her battle with cancer, she was surrounded by friends and family and great memories of a great life.  Rita is survived by her son Randy Kettenhofen and his wife Carol; daughter Debra Orona and her husband Jesse; grandson Andrew McCune and his wife Amy; sister Jo Ann Townsend (with her children PJ, David, Chris, Teresa, Patricia & Leticia); brother-in-law Bill Jameson and his wife Lynn; and many, many cousins, extended family members and friends from the Jameson side of the family. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Jim.