Rita Elizabeth Martin was born on 2nd December 1936 at 230 Homerton High Street, London, although her parents address on her birth certificate lists 131 Chatsworth Road Hackney so we are not quite sure what exactly happened? 

She was the younger sister to Pat, and they both lived mainly at Lytton Avenue, Enfield Lock, as did her cousins Pauline and Colleen.  Pauline writes in her memoirs that she remembers that they all had air raid shelters in their back gardens where they would play hide and seek, and they would all sit in the front garden where Rita would make up wonderful stories.

Rita, her sister and her cousins all attended Albany Girls’ Secondary Modern School in Middlesex.  Her first school report dated December 1948has the general remarks:

‘Rita has made very good progress this term.  She can be very helpful and is well behaved….a good beginning in her new school’.

Her final report for which we have copy is dated Christmas 1951 and concludes:

‘Rita well deserves her high progress mark.  She always gives of her best and is most anxious to learn.  Responsibility to her is a serious business and one always feels she has the interest of the school at heart.  She is a courageous girl and has proved an efficient school captain.  She is thoroughly reliable and is to be commended for her neat personal appearance and pleasing manner’.

Rita, Pauline and Colleen would always sing together and between them they won Enfield Festivals solo, Trios and Duets, as well as sing in the school choir. A music festival report (undated) states:

‘Very lovely voice and beautifully sincere and imaginative performance’.

After leaving school she trained as a shorthand typist, working for the prudential. Rita loved to dance and attended many local dances at the Royal in Tottenham.  On one particular Sunday dance, she caught the eye of a young man who had actually gone to the same dance with another girl……………!

The young man was John James Weight, a compositor with the Financial Times Newspaper, and following a proposal on top of a hill overlooking Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, they were married on 30th August 1958, at St George’s Parish Church, Enfield.

They moved to a new house at 3 Bellamy Road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, having been given the advance of a mortgage from the Abbey National Building society for the princely sum of £1975.  After a short while, Rita then left the Prudential to become a full time housewife and homemaker.

Two children were then born at home, Paul on 22nd March 1962, followed by Jacqueline on 17th February 1964, with Simon arriving later courtesy of the Epping General Hospital on 16th April 1974.

When Simon started to go to nursery school with a boy called Mark, Rita soon became the very best of friends with his mother Maureen.  Even after Rita moved to Suffolk, Maureen would come to stay and they would enjoy their time together going on walks.  Rita continued to live in Cheshunt for many years even after the death her beloved John, who passed away 9th September 1986. 

However, several years after Jackie had moved to Bury St Edmunds, and Paul had moved to Barningham, he finally persuaded Rita to agree to a move to ‘sunny Suffolk’. In fact, as Rita was still in Cheshunt, it was Paul who checked out properties on her behalf, and Rita bought her bungalow without ever seeing it before hand, just going on Paul’s recommendation!

She finally moved to her last home at 28 Millfield Road, Barningham in July 1999. Unfortunately Paul and his family would be on holiday, and so he asked the church to ‘look after his mum’ when she moved.  Rita formed many new friendships, but she soon became best buddies with one lady in particular, Sheila.  They would often make fun of each other and really enjoyed one another’s company. Rita and Sheila enjoyed many walks together, visits to several garden centres, and playing many games of scrabble while consuming the odd glass or two of white wine.  Rita was always a good listener as well as an adviser when asked, and she made long lasting friendships which she always kept going through regular contact irrespective of distance between them. 

Rita loved to do crosswords and Paul even got her into cryptic ones as well, to the stage that when they used to do the main duel clue crossword in the Daily Mail each Saturday and compare notes, Rita started to get better at it than Paul! However, her greatest love without doubt was her family; her three children, Paul, Jackie and Simon, and her seven grandchildren, Vicki, Sam, Lauren, Nicole, Rebecca, Ethan and Luke.  Rita was very much a people person and she had a huge heart of love for all those she came in contact with, family, friends, and neighbours.  She was generous to a fault, and had a great and some would say a ‘wicked’ sense of humour. 


Rita found faith in later years, and worshipped at High Street Chapel, Hopton, for all the years she lived in Barningham.  She was much loved and will be greatly missed, but we take comfort in knowing that she is now finally at peace with her Lord, and eternally reunited with her beloved John, in glory.

We give thanks to God for Rita’s life, and we pray for comfort and peace for all those she has left behind.

Amen