In loving memory of
Rita Lueck
May 26, 1931 - August 30, 2017
Rita M. Lueck, 86, of Winona, MN passed away Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at St. Anne Extended Healthcare in Winona.
Born May 26, 1931 to Michael and Helen (Stolpa) Styba, Rita grew up in Winona, graduated from Cathedral High School in 1949 and married David H. Lueck at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church on October 27, 1951. She was a dedicated full-time mom for many years, went to work when her children grew up and retired from Winona State University after working in the Financial Aid office for 20 years.
Rita was special. She was smart, beautiful and just a little scrappy. She loved to laugh and had a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor that made most people happy but left others baffled. And she was honest. You always knew where you stood with Rita, whether you wanted to or not.
The quintessential people person, Rita loved to sit on her back porch in the evening and talk with Dave or go next door to chat with her neighbors. She spent hours on the phone with friends and family and never got out of church without connecting with someone.
She loved to give and to create and was hardly ever without a project of some sort in progress: Her daughter's Christmas dress, a grandson's quilt, a cozy afghan for her mom, a scarf for a friend.
She loved music and singing, and dancing and movies. Books and magazines. Daisies. She grew gorgeous roses, was a 'darn good' bowler and an excellent cook.
She loved dogs and even learned to love a couple of cats - in time.
She loved pretty clothes and nice jewelry. A strappy pair of sandals in the summer and warm, sturdy boots in the cold.
She was very "Proud to be Polish."
She loved to learn and loved to teach. She taught her children and grandchildren the value of an education, the importance of being productive and how to be self-sufficient. And she loved them. With everything she had.
She loved her God and loved her Church.
Rita loved her life.
But in the last 10 months, she struggled. Her health began to fail and her independence faded away. Yet her indomitable spirit and determination shone through until the end. She lived her life intentionally - and leaves behind an everlasting inheritance to those she knew and loved, built on the foundations of her faith, friendship and family.
We are sad, but we celebrate Rita's life and her journey from this world into the next. We will forever cherish the gift she was. Her friendship, the joy and fun she shared with her grandchildren, the special bond she had with her children and her amazing love and commitment to her husband, will be endlessly missed and never forgotten.
Rita is survived by her husband of 66 years, MG (RET) David H. Lueck, Winona; six children: COL (RET) Jeff (Dawn) Lueck, Winona; David (Terese) Lueck, St. Paul, MN; Paul (Terrie) Lueck, Winona; Eric (Bruce Olmscheid, MD) Lueck, Los Angeles, CA; MAJ (RET) Christopher (Shelly) Lueck, Cleveland, OH; and Lisa (Michael) Kinowski, Mankato, MN. 16 grandchildren: Justine (Matthew) Commerford, St. Paul, MN, CPT William Lueck, Ft. Lee, VA, Thomas Lueck, Winona, MN; Tyler (Amanda Cotter) Lueck, Los Angeles, CA, Caitlin Lueck, Chicago, IL; Adam Lueck, Minneapolis, MN, Megan Lueck, Tallahassee, FL, Gretchen Lueck, Winona, MN; Alexander Lueck, Duluth, MN, Andrea Lueck, St. Paul, MN, Emily Lueck, New Prague, MN, Nicole Lueck, Madison, WI; Zachary (Kara) Kinowski, New Brighton, MN, Nathanael (Tessa) Kinowski, St. Paul, MN, Aaron Kinowski, Sioux Falls, SD, and Matthew Kinowski (Kat Schuetzle), Rapid City, SD; a sister Teresa Varner, Winona; sister-in-law Esther Styba and many special nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son Kim; two sisters: Mildred Malotke and Audrey
Noeske, and two brothers: Burt Styba and Richard Styba.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:00 pm, Sunday, September 3 at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church, Winona, with Fr. Jim Berning officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery, Winona.
Visitation will be from 5-7 pm on Saturday, September 2 at the Fawcett Junker Funeral Home, Winona with prayers at 6:30 pm.
Casket bearers will be Rita's granddaughters and honorary casket bearers will be Rita's grandsons.
Memorials may be directed to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Services entrusted to Fawcett Junker Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Winona, MN and Fountain City, WI. Words of sympathy and remembrance can be given at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com.
There's still time to send flowers to the Visitation at the Fawcett Junker Funeral Home, Winona, MN from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on September 2, 2017.
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To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com/notices/Rita-Lueck