Rita Beverly Monteiro

Our beloved mother Rita Monteiro passed away peacefully in Madison, AL on February 23, 2025 at the age of 85. She will be joyfully remembered by her husband, Hubert, after 62 wonderful years together, her children Anand, Prema, and Navin, her daughters-in-law LiJuan and Usha and her grandchildren Shiv, Vivian, Vivek, and Olivia; her brother Raymond and sister Moire and their families. Rita joins her parents Agnes and Neville Lovett.

 Rita was born in 1939. Her father, Neville, who worked for Burmah Shell (now simply “Shell”) held several positions in northern India and eventually moved the family south, to Madras (now Chennai), where Rita completed an M.A. in English in 1961, and then taught English Literature at Stella Maris College for two years. 

 Rita, a gregarious Anglo-Indian, and Hubert, an introverted Mangalorean, caused quite a stir by marrying in 1962, a period with few inter-community couples, and their union signaled the beginning of Rita's lifelong dedication to social progressiveness. Rita and Hubert then started their life together in Bombay (now Mumbai). Rita was a devoted wife and mother, who also found time to teach English at St. Stanislaus in the 1970s, where she is still cherished by her former students not only for her outstanding teaching, but also for her ability to connect individually with each and every one of them. She successfully battled breast cancer in 1984, and went on to have forty more magnificent years, becoming an activist for Women’s Rights, and writing extensively for several national and Catholic publications in India.

 Rita and Hubert moved to Huntsville, AL in 1999, when Hubert accepted a position at a Chemical Engineering company. Rita now became a much loved grandmother, spoiling her grandchildren rotten, crafting culinary delights, while subtly inculcating in them her love of literature, and her superb writing skills. She loved playing word and card games, pandering to the whims of her grandchildren. never one to sit still, Rita leveraged her literary skills to enter podcasting, a new genre for her. She was a frequent contributor to the WLRH Sundial Writers Corner and published articles in the National Catholic Reporter. In 2024, Rita achieved yet another milestone, becoming a US Citizen and voting in the November elections. She will be deeply missed by all who were touched by her.

Rita’s family will host a funeral service to honor and celebrate her life on:

February 28, 2025 

St. John The Baptist Church,
1055 Hughes Road, 
Madison, AL 35758. 

Visitation: 10 AM
Service: 11 AM 
Reception: noon. 

https://www.stjohnbchurch.org/ will be hosting a live stream of the service at 11AM.