Obituary of Rita Malloy Freeman

Rita Clare Malloy Freeman, beloved mother, sister, daughter, aunt and friend, went home to God on Feb. 21, 2023. Mrs. Freeman, 102, of Maybrook, New York, was born October 14, 1920. She was seventh child of Joseph Patrick and Christine Dages Malloy. She had nine sisters (Bernadette/Sister Kathleen, Marie Louise Goding, Doris Capell, Mary Ellen Krumm, Agatha Provoost, Margaret Kluemper, Pauline Smalec, Yvonne Boyd and Edith Cecelia Callahan) and two brothers (Albert and Jesse), all of whom predeceased her. Mrs. Freeman was born and grew up in Washington, Indiana, graduating from high school in 1937. She then moved to New Jersey and remained on the East Coast the rest of her life. She graduated from Westchester Community College with a social sciences degree. Upon retiring in 1988, she moved from Yonkers to Maybrook and embarked on an active retirement, keeping busier than she had ever been as a legal secretary at General Foods, where she was employed for thirty-three years. In Maybrook, she was very involved at Assumption Roman Catholic Church, where she was a Eucharistic Minister. An enthusiastic member of the Maybrook Seniors, she enjoyed camaraderie, lunches, many trips and bingo. She was always willing to help anyone in need. She was an author, poetess and painter. She published two books in recent years, Which One Are You?, about her childhood and young adult years, and Rita Tours the World, about her memorable trips. Her journeys took her to the Philippines to visit her son; Spain with her nieces; Portugal to visit Our Lady of Fatima Shrine; China; Ireland; and elsewhere. She traveled across the United States to many Malloy Family reunions and weddings, several World’s Fairs, and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She is survived by her son, Dr. William S. Freeman, of The Philippines; her nieces Casey DeHoney in Maybrook and Mary Marsh (Mrs. Steve) in Monroe, and dozens of other nieces, nephews, their children and children’s children. The Mass of Resurrection will be March14 at 1 pm at Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church in Walden. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Washingtonville, New York. Mrs. Freeman requested any donations be made to BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation), https://www.bcrf.org/blog/bcrf-highest-rated-breast-cancer-research-organization-us/