Rita Marie Ward, 69, of Kingsford Heights, Indiana, passed away on Monday, November 17, 2025, at Northwest Health-La Porte.
Rita was born on August 18, 1956, in Limestone, ME, to Marion and Theresa (Kislicki) Short.
Surviving are her daughters, Amy Puentes and Jennifer Garcia, both of La Porte; 8 grandchildren, Amber (Mike) Mote of Grovertown, Marisa Garcia of North Liberty, Christian Garcia of Fish Lake, Thalia (Brian) Garcia-Castro of Fort Wayne, Alejandra Puentes of Nappanee, Jaden Puentes of La Porte, Breanna and Nicholas Mejia, both of La Porte; 14 great-grandchildren; brother, Richard (Sue) Sawicki of Phoenix, AZ; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and great-granddaughter, Gabriella Swager.
Rita worked in customer service for over 20 years at various establishments. She was a member and former President of the Women's Auxiliary. Rita enjoyed arts, crafts, and crocheting. She especially loved spending time with her family.
Cremation has taken place with Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center, La Porte. A private family service will take place at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the family c/o Amber Mote, 2900 Monroe Street, La Porte, IN 46350.
Condolences may be shared online at www.cutlercares.com.
