Rita Barbara Kern

August 27, 1921 - January 13, 2018

Kern, Rita B (Knoth) Age 96, of Centerville, passed away Saturday, January 13, 2018 at St Leonard Center. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nicholas and Catherine (Osterloh) Knoth, husband Joseph Kern, Sr, sisters Stella Thomas and Alvina Hopkins, brother Sylvester Knoth and daughter Barbara Haney. She is survived by her children Shirley (Don) Coty, Joe (Irene) Kern, Jr, and Patty (Keith) Ross, and son-in-law Ken Haney. She is also survived by grandchildren Brian (Carin) Coty, Kevin (Diane) Coty, Jeff (Erika) Kern, Erica (Luke) Adams, Travis (Laurie) Smith, Peter (Julie) Ross, Jonathan Ross, Mike (Denise) Haney, Angela (Chad) Brockermeyer and 13 great grandchildren. Rita was born in Dayton OH, attended St Anthony grade school and graduated from Parker (Patterson) Co-op High School. Rita and Joe first met at the roller skating rink and went on to enjoy many years as a couple in competitive dance roller skating. She was a secretary at Delco Products before she and Joe moved to Los Alamos, NM to work on the Manhattan Project during WWII. When they returned to Dayton, they began their family and Rita enjoyed being a homemaker and being involved with her children’s scouts and other activities. She was an avid gardener and seamstress. After raising her family Rita went to work again as a secretary in the Trust Department at Key Bank. During retirement Rita and Joe enjoyed square dancing and visited dance clubs in numerous states. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am in the St Leonard chapel, 8100 Clyo Rd, Centerville on Saturday, January 20, 2018. Visitation will be one hour before Mass starting at 9:00 am. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St Leonard Benevolent Fund or the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of her husband. We wish to extend our thanks to all the staff at St Leonard for their loving care of Rita over the last six years.