Rita C. Ketchum-Chubbuck, 92, of Montsweag Valley Road, Wiscasset, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021 at LincolnHealth – Miles Campus in Damariscotta.
She was born in Bath on Jan. 21, 1929, the daughter of Lorenzo and Dora L. (Ouellette) Collins. She graduated from Morse High School in the Class of 1946 and later received an Associate’s Degree from Gorham State Teachers College. In 1949, she married William H. Ketchum Jr.
One of Rita’s first jobs was as a bookkeeper at Sears, Roebuck and Company in Bath. She moved on to become the treasurer for St. Mary’s Credit Union and was instrumental in its growth and evolution into the Bath Area Credit Union. She later was an office manager for a medical practice, was self-employed as a tax preparer, and owned and operated Berrys Mill Yarns in West Bath.
She was a member of St. Mary’s Church and of Club 42 in Bath. She was also a very active Girl Scout troop leader while her children were growing up. In 1967, she led a group of the scouts to Expo ’67 in Montreal, Quebec.
Rita’s first husband William H. Ketchum Jr. passed away in June of 1994. On Dec. 29, 2000, she married Kenneth “Tink” Chubbuck who had been a friend of the family for many years.
Rita was an avid reader. She was always working on multiple craft projects at the same time. She loved knitting, sewing, painting, traveling and especially spending time with friends and family. She and Tink traveled extensively in the United States and internationally in their RV and on cruises.
She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Chubbuck, of Wiscasset; three daughters, Colleen White and her husband, Tom, of Portland, Maureen L. Ketchum of Methuen, Mass., and Kathleen Steele and her husband, Robert Sr., of Broadway, N.C.; one son, Matthew Ketchum and his wife, Aida, of Fort Worth, Texas; one stepdaughter, Kendra Chubbuck and her husband, John DeWitt, of Isle Au Haut; two stepsons, Tim Chubbuck and his wife, Patricia, of Woolwich, and Fred Chubbuck of Woolwich; seven grandchildren; seven step-grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She is predeceased by one stepson, Kenneth “Todd” Chubbuck.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions can be made in her memory to the Wiscasset Public Library.
Condolences may be made online at daiglefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are by Daigle Funeral Home, 819 High St, Bath.
