Mrs. Rita Gravel

A full life, lived well

NAUGATUCK - Rita Gravel, age 93, of Naugatuck passed away on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at Complete Care at Glendale in Naugatuck where she resided for four years. She was the wife of the late Louis Gravel.

Rita was born in Manchester, NH on November 1, 1930, daughter of the late Albert and Janet Chouinard. Rita lived most of her life in Naugatuck. She was a communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Church. Rita loved singing and dancing throughout her life and at one time was a member of the College Capers singing group. Her greatest pleasure was gathering with her large family for special occasions full of fun and laughter. Rita was an avid reader and frequented the Howard Memorial Library for many years. She worked at and retired from, Maple Hill Elementary school in Naugatuck as a teacher’s aide after 10 years. Rita was exceptional in almost every way but she excelled the most at being a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Our family thanks you Mom, for every prayer you uttered for us, for the many sacrifices you made for us, for thousands of hugs you shared with us and the unending love you instilled in all of us.

Rita is survived by her children, sons; Dennis (Susan), Louis Jr (Jennifer), and David (Karen) Gravel and her daughters; Louise Jamele, Diana (Michael) Dull, Claudette (Henry) Pruchnicki, and Denise (Leo) DePaola as well as 11 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Including her late husband, Louis, Rita was predeceased by her brothers Armand and Richard Chouinard and her sisters, Cecile Veillette and Lorraine Normandin.

Mere words are but a feeble attempt to express our family’s gratitude for the care and love that the entire staff at Glendale shared with Mom and all of us during her illness. They often commented about how much they loved Rita and referred to her as their “little spitfire”.

Funeral services for Mrs. Gravel will be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at Saint Francis of Assisi Church, 318 Church St, Naugatuck, CT 06770, when a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Those planning to attend are kindly asked to meet directly at the Church. Burial will follow in Saint James Cemetery, Naugatuck. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Rita’s family on Monday evening from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Casey-O’Neill Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 742 Main Street, Oakville, CT 06705. To honor Rita’s memory and in lieu of flowers, donations to Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation at www.pitthopkins.org would be greatly appreciated by her family. Loving kindness is always welcome, and it only takes a moment to offer a message of condolence or words of comfort or share a memory of someone important to you with your family and friends. Please visit the funeral home’s tribute page at www.caseyfunerals.com to do so.