Obituary of Rita Yvonne (Parker) Gilrain Ricker

Rita Yvonne (Parker) Gilrain Ricker, 91, of Lynn, wife of the late Osborne “Frank” Ricker of Lynn and the late Francis Patrick Gilrain of Boston, died on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at the Rosewood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Mrs. Ricker was born in Lynn on September 19, 1919 the daughter of Jeremiah and Catherine (Crowley) Parker. She spent her childhood in Newburyport. She then moved to Lynn where she attended Lynn English High School graduating Class of 1938 and in 1940 she graduated from Burdett College. She resided in Lynn for most of her life. Mrs. Ricker was employed as a bookkeeper at George J. Kelley, Inc and later at Lynn Products Company. She was a loving mother who devoted her life to creating a life for her family. Later she was so proud of her 4 grandchildren and their accomplishments and most recently the joy of her life, her great grandson. She was a communicant of St. Ann’s Church in Peabody, a member of the Lynn YMCA Retired Men and Women’s Club and the AARP. Mrs. Ricker is survived by a son, Gerald F. Gilrain and his wife Joyce of Salem; a daughter, Katherine Mary and her husband, Walter E. Coombs, Jr. of Danvers; 4 grandchildren, Shannon Perry, Patrick Coombs, Kelly Perrier and Hannah Gilrain; a great grandson, Chase Parker Coombs. She was the sister of the late John Parker, Gerard Parker and Arlene Parker. As per her request a private family Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 25, 2011 at St. Ann’s Church in Peabody. The family requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Mrs. Ricker’s name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Burial was in St. Mary Cemetery, Newburyport. Arrangements were by the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody.