Rita M. McBride </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 9:25 AM on Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Rita M. McBride

Anchor Point resident, Rita M. McBride, 78, died Friday, February 9, 2007 at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer.

A celebration of life was held on Feb. 17 at the Anchor Point Church of the Nazarene. Graveside services will be held at the Cemetery on March 30th, with a family and friends potluck to follow at her brother, Andrew Thompson’s house off Shoreline Drive on Thompson Point. All are welcome.

Rita was born in Ketchikan, Alaska April 27, 1929, to Jens Severin and Ragna Pauline Thompson. She grew up on First Avenue with her brother Andrew and many friends. Many hours were spent playing on the beach and trails around their neighborhood. Those trails are now paved streets. After graduating from Kayhi in 1947, she left for college with her best friend, Hazel Bugden. They spent one and a half years at Washington State College in Pullman. Both returned homesick.

Rita M. McBride

She married her sweetheart, Dick Silsbee, in 1950, after his return from Army service. They bought a small house in Mud Bight and started raising their family. In April of 1951, her first child, Thomas Richard, was born. Rita loved being a wife and mother. Donna soon followed in 1953. When she became pregnant with her third child, Lloyd Richard, a tragedy occurred. During the course of working on the rebuilding of North Tongass, a falling cedar hit the cat that Dick was working on. He died a few days later. A year after giving birth to young Dicky, she was to meet and marry Carl McBride. With his three daughters, Pam, Patty, and Julane the family grew instantly to 4 girls and 2 boys. Not long after, Rita would give birth to Carl Jr. and Colleen Marie. Rita worked in their many family businesses during these years. She worked from dawn to dusk on the weekdays and spare time was at a premium. She loved to go out with her family on boating trips. These would include her brother, Andrew and his wife, Hazel and children, Doug, Brenda, and Leif. She cherished all the family time she would have while raising her children.

After the traditions of her Norwegian father, Rita bought a fishing boat, only to trade up in size for comfort a few years later. She loved the ocean and thought she would never stray too far from it. But in 1972, she decided to work as a Bull Cook for the Pipeline days. “Go further north, send more money!” was a phrase she learned while working at Chandalar, Deadhorse, and Prudhoe Bay. Rita convinced her daughter, Donna, that a lodge was something one couldn’t live without. For the next 5 years, Rita was the best baker on the Richardson Highway.

After buying a few horses, Rita decided to move south for the health of her herd. She finally settled in Lakeview, Oregon and raised over 100 head of American Bashkir Curlies. Her health took a turn for the worse in 2001, but was remedied with heart surgery. She came to live with Donna, Allen, and Rebecca in Anchor Point a year later. She loved helping deliver food to families in need, and volunteering for different agencies in the local area. She also loved and was loved by her Church family. She never wanted to miss anything that was “going on” at Anchor Point Church of the Nazarene. Rita was truly a woman that knew and shared the love of Jesus with her quick wit and generous smiles for everyone. She had a deep love of our Lord, Jesus and is now resting in HIS presence. Henry Ward Beecher wrote: “The death of a good man is a lot like a sunset. The sky glows for a long while after he is gone.” The sky is will still glow for a long while because of our Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Great grandmother, wife, and friend, Rita Marie McBride. You have left a great void that can never be filled. Her passing on February 9, 2007 was too soon for all of us, but the perfect timing of our Lord.

Rita was preceded in death by her husband Dick Silsbee, her children, Colleen, Dick, and Carl Jr. and her best friend and sister in law, Hazel Thompson. She is survived by her brother, Andrew Thompson and his children and their families, Douglas Thompson, Brenda Rivero, and Leif Thompson, her daughters and their families, Pamela, Pat, and Ryan Prouty, Julane, Steve, and Kabe Martin and daughters, Jazelle and Kirsty, Patrice and Gordy Gray, Jennifer and Andrew, Donna and Allen Dennis, Clinton, Paul, Marina, Christina, Nicholas and Rebecca, son, Thomas Silsbee, daughter in law MaryAnn and Monty Allen, Renee, Shawn, Darci, and Cassy. And also her favorite cousins, Olive R. Lundmark of Kirkland, WA, Dorrine C. and William M.Strandrud, of Woodinville, WA., Clayton M. and Joanne S. Olsen of Everett, WA, Dr. Robert A. and Donna M. Olsen of Everett, WA., Virginia M. and Lester E. Filion of Seattle, WA., former husband, Carl R. McBride and many great grandchildren that she loved dearly.

Arrangements were by the Homer Funeral Home.