Rita (Shenette) Picard

December 18,  1929– February 17, 2007

“An Angel Among Us”

Putnam – Rita Picard, 77, of 207 Sabin Street, died on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at Westview Healthcare.  She was born on December 18, 1929 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph and Lillian (Tatro) Shenette.

Rita retired in 1993 from U.S. Button in Putnam.  She held several different positions during her 26 year career with the company, her last being with the maintenance department.

She was pre-deceased by her husband Leonard R. Picard on July 14, 2002.

Rita was well known for her wonderful spirit, her sense of humor and her love of life and family.  She especially enjoyed her time spent with her many friends at Little River Acres where she looked after and cared for many of the residents.  She also enjoyed playing cards in the Pitch League at the Thompson Rod and Gun Club.  For many years Rita worked out faithfully, almost every morning, at the gym.  She was a very religious woman and was a parishioner of St. Joseph Church in North Grosvenordale.

Rita was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and one of her greatest loves was spending time with all of her grandchildren.  She will be sadly missed and forever loved by her family and her many friends.

She is survived by her son Gerald Schofield, Jr., and his wife Susan, of Woodstock; her daughter Deborah Smith, and her husband Michael, of Woodstock Valley; her step-son Michael Picard, and his wife Monique, of Thompson; her step-daughter Susan Duquette, and her husband Ron, of Grosvenordale; her brother Francis Shenette of Oxford, MA; her sisters, Theresa Deboer of Westboro, MA, Margaret Stewart of Reno, NV and Barbara Garceau of Worcester, MA; and her seven grandchildren, Chad and Stacey Schofield, Daniel and Timothy Smith, Dane and Cody Picard and Kevin Duquette.

The funeral will assemble on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at the Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main Street, North Grosvenordale, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in N. Grosvenordale.  Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery.  Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.