Rita Rae Alvord

Our strong, brave and courageous wife and mother, Rita Rae Alvord, left us for Heaven on October 31, 2014 surrounded by her family. She was born to Sam and Reta Hanson on April 6, 1935 and lived in Bellingham her entire life. After graduating from Bellingham High School in 1953, she went on to work at Keyes Clinic. She met the love of her life, Reg Alvord, and they enjoyed 57 wonderful years of marriage.

Rita was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She enriched all of our lives and set a great example of how to live. She was an avid boater and fisherwoman and a life member of the Bellingham Yacht Club, First Mates Club and Wheel and Keel. Some of the families best memories were spent boating and they had many weekends and vacations with their four children, friends and families. Their boat was always the mother ship of the family fleet and she was the life of the party. Rita was also a member of the Chaparral Country Club in Palm Desert, CA and belonged to the Women’s Niners Club. She and Reg loved socializing with their friends and spending time with their family on vacations. If you were with Rita, you were having fun! She was the anchor of our family and we will miss her deeply. She will live strong in our hearts and in our memories of her bright spirit.

Rita is survived by her husband Reg, brother Robert “Hans” Hanson and children Jeff (Lori), Kim (Paul) Yuska, Lori (Scott) Clough and Steve (Marci), all of Bellingham. She is also survived by her grandchildren Krista, Angie, Anna, Dane, Alex, Brad, Katie, Jessie and Kristi (Todd), as well as many loving relatives and friends. Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Reta Hanson, as well as her brothers Sam and Howard Hanson and her sister June Ginger.

The celebration of Rita’s life will be held at Westford Funeral Home at 2:00pm on Monday, November 10, 2014. A reception will follow across the street at Westford’s Broadway Hall. The family would like to thank Whatcom Hospice and the many caregivers that supported us. Donations may be made to Whatcom Hospice Foundation, 2901 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham, 98225.