Mrs. Rita Geffert Rafferty passed away on June 20, 2014, at Wendover Hospice.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Rafferty, her daughter, Nancy Carneal, and her brothers, Joseph and Albert, and her sister, Mary.

Rita was born in Elsworth, Pennsylvania, on June 16, 1923 to Andrej and Sofia Geffert. She worked at the Pentagon during WWII and continued a secretarial career through her retirement from Firestone in Akron, Ohio. Rita moved to Greenville, SC, and worked part-time well into her seventies calling blood donors for The Blood Center in Greenville. She enjoyed her family, playing piano by ear, needlework, and reading. Rita was a member of First Baptist Church of Shelby, North Carolina, where she was part of the Ladies 80+ Sunday school and WMU Round Table.

She is survived by her daughters, Judith Carneal and husband Jerry of Canton, Ohio, Theresa Shimp of Akron, Ohio, and Susan DuBose and husband Lawrence of Greenville, South Carolina.  Rita is survived by 11 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Wendover Hospice, Dr. Evelyn Rabindran, Dr. James Potts, and Dr. Stephen Grinton for their care and kindness shown to Rita during her illness.

The family will receive friends at 10:00 am on Tuesday, June 24 and the service will follow at 11:00 am in the Webb Chapel at First Baptist Church, 120 N. Lafayette Street, Shelby, NC, with Rev. Tony Tench officiating. Burial will follow at 3:30 pm at Graceland East Memorial Park, 2206 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, South Carolina, to be officiated by the Reverend Curtis DuBose of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church,120 N. Lafayette Street, Shelby, NC 28150 or to Cleveland County Hospice at 951 Wendover Heights Drive, Shelby, NC, 28150. Clay-Barnette Funeral Home of Shelby is serving the family.

Online Condolences can be left at www.claybarnette.com