Rita B. Steele

Steele, Rita B (Pearce)

Life came to an end for Rita Beryl (Pearce) Steele, 97, of Zion, IL when she peacefully joined Our Heavenly Father and her beloved husband Ernest Steele on December 28, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.  Rita was born on July 31st, 1925, to Gordon D Pearce and Mary (Resheske) Pearce of North Chicago, IL.  Rita found that she loved to learn as a child and excelled as a student.  Her academic skills distinguished her, boosting her into leadership roles such as President of her class at Holy Child High School as well as the lead roles in class plays and other activities. At age 15, it was suggested to Rita to volunteer at the USO dances for our WWII servicemen.  This is where Rita discovered her lifelong love for dancing and where you could find her jitterbugging the night away. This activity also invigorated her interest in helping people. It was the USO that introduced her to the love of her life, Ernest Steele, a USN Corpsman whom she wed in North Chicago, IL on October 26th, 1944, resulting in a once in a lifetime 66-year romance.

Rita was indeed a remarkable and extraordinary woman who had foregone an opportunity to attend college on an academic scholarship.  She would later share that she would have loved to have pursued a career in business, but like many Navy families, the war altered her aspirations and she found herself stationed all over the country.  She quickly discovered her true calling of impacting others.  By the age of 33, she was a mother of 11 children. Rita and Ernie started their own medical supply business after the war which tapped into her true entrepreneurial spirit.  Their hard work did not go unnoticed as their investment in the community earned Ernie and Rita many distinguished Family of the Year Awards, and industry leadership awards where she was often the only woman member.  All eleven children and many others needing employment and a chance at their first job passed through those company doors learning all that they could from her as she worked building the company well into her eighties. So many lives were impacted by her, but it wasn’t all work.  To this day her children can still remember the words to the songs they learned while gathering around their player piano making memories as a family which built the unity and closeness we share today.  She was wired for fun, kindness, generosity, tenacity and genuine service that was felt by all she encountered.

Family was truly everything to Rita.  Her children never noticed the hardships of starting a business as she made them feel special. She never missed an opportunity to watch her children participate in scouts, plays, sports and academic endeavors, as well as sponsored teams her children played on, willing to travel all around the country to support them. Her heart was large enough to welcome all her children’s friends and families into her circle. Rita was active in Christian Family Movement (CFM), Holy Name Society and volunteering at most school functions.  Besides dancing, she enjoyed reading the daily paper, fishing (recipient of the Gordon D Pearce Fall Classic), The Cubs, playing cards with friends and in her later years, playing games on her laptop and making puzzles with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ernest O Steele, daughter-in-law Doreen (McCasland) Steele, her parents, sister Olive (Pearce) Thorne and brother-in-law, William Thorne.

Rita lived through ten decades of a well lived life, survived by her loving 11 children:  Gerald (Kay), Robert (Theresa), Thomas (Eileen), James, Lon (Diana), Susan Steele-Bersie, Mary (Steele) Bornhoft (Randy), Kathryn, Julie, John and David Steele.  Rita also had 34 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren all her “FAVORITES”.   Rita’s beloved Steele and Thorne relations were forever in her heart.

In lieu of Flowers, the family encourages donations to:  Society of the Holy Child Jesus/American Province - Retired Nuns Assistance, 1341 Montgomery Avenue Rosemont, PA 19010, 610-626-1400.    shcj.org/American/donate/

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 6, 2023, from 10AM-12:00 noon at St. Patrick Church, 15000 W Wadsworth Rd., Wadsworth, IL 60083.  Funeral mass will follow at 12PM with Fr. James Merold officiating.  Private interment at Ascension Cemetery on January 7, 2023.  Arrangements entrusted to Sambrano Funeral & Cremation, Gurnee, IL.  Please sign the guestbook at LauraSambranoFunerals.com; 847-571-7719.

All of Our Love, Always!

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