Rita Marceline Bailey ( Myers) of  Hamden was born on November 8, 1926 and passed away peacefully at her home on July 2, 2020.  She was 93 years old. Rita and her twin sister Rhea were born at Bristol hospital and grew up in and around there. She was raised in a large family consisting of 13 brothers and sisters.  She worked various jobs after finishing her education at Bristol High School, including Whitney Blake and Formatron Ltd. After moving to the New Haven area she met and fell in love with the dashing Donald Bailey and they were married. Rita continued to work but also managed to create a home filled with love and laughter with Don and their four children. She loved her family with all her heart and this remained  the most important thing to her all her life.  She loved having parties and making her signature dishes for her guests.  Invariably at some point she would emerge from the house with delighted eyes carrying some treat she had hidden away, cookies, ice cream or new pool toys!

Rita is predeceased by her parents Arthur Adlord and Ruby Olive Myers, her husband Donald Bailey Sr, several of her brothers and sisters and her grand-daughter Michele L. Vece.  She is survived by her loving twin Rhea Coleman (Walter) her brother Cal Myers (Jean, deceased)  her children Linda Bailey, Donald Bailey Jr.(Sandy) , Debbi Golia ( George) and William Bailey (Libby), her 9 grandchildren, Michael Golia, Nikki Brancati, Jay Brancati (Jen), Elena Duley (Steve) Samantha Asbury ( Brian), Donald Bailey 3rd ( (Kristina) Jaclyn Plucker ( Jason), William Bailey Jr. (Bethany), Jessica Glazer,  several great-grandchildren and great- great grandchildren.

There will be a public viewing at Hamden Memorial 1300 Dixwell Ave. on Wednesday July 8 from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm and again from 10:00 am until 11:00 am on Thursday. We will then depart from Hamden Memorial and proceed to All Saints Cemetery for services there at 11:30.

In lieu of flowers please donate to St Jude's Children's Hospital a favorite charity of Rita's. Condolences may be expressed at hamdenmemorialfuneralhome.com

Donations to St Jude's Children's Hospital can be donated here:

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TRR/GiftFunds/GiftFunds/1836592550?pg=ptype&fr_id=39300&skip_login_page=true&sc_cid=mem-lp-memorialfund-secondary-text