Rita Ann was born to Noma Cauley Lasseter and Alice Gertrude Weeks Lasseter in Miami, Florida. Her father was in the United States Army during WWII and Rita lived at Camp Wheeler, Macon, Georgia. Rita loved to sit on the stoop as a toddler and call out to every service man who passed by while her mother begged her not to! Her younger sister Annette was born while they lived at Camp Wheeler. Her father was stationed in Hawaii and her family moved to Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida. By this time her baby sister Vickie was born. Rita grew up surrounded by cousins and family friends spending time at Lake Rosalie and Camp Mack. She spent good days at Bok Singing Tower where her mother managed the gift shop. Her father was a Lake Wales Policeman. She attended Girl's Club with Miss Margaret in Lake Wales and spent happy summers at Camp Olena State Park. By high school she was a "Highlander" and graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1959. She attended Florida State University and her husband to be, Brent, followed her there and enrolled as well. On May 13, 1960 Rita and Brent eloped to Thomasville, Georgia and were married in the home of a Methodist preacher. They returned to live with Brent's parents in Okeechobee, Florida on Margate Dairy. Brent's father made him foreman and on September 7, 1961 Rita had her first child Carol Anita and on August 31, 1963 she had her second child Jill Antoinette. Rita decided she still wanted to become a teacher so she enrolled at Indian River Junior College and graduated with her AA degree on 5 May 1969 in Fort Pierce, Florida. She had already been hired as a full time teacher at Okeechobee Primary School teaching 2nd grade. During this time she was a Brownie Girl Scout Leader with her sister in law Phyllis. Rita spent her summers attending Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton and next attending Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a long slow process but Rita refused to give up and on 21 January 1980 she graduated with her BS in education. On 22 September 1986 she completed her Master of Science. She was given a plaque for 25 years of teaching by Okeechobee County on 26 November 2008. Rita retired at the age of 68 and began attending classes and became a licensed Certified Nursing Assistant with the State of Florida. Her intention was to become a Registered Nurse and she was attending classes when it became obvious she had clear signs of dementia. This was the same type of dementia that had taken her mother in 1998. It appears to strike every female generation of Rita's family. Rita lived with dementia for the next ten years of her life.
Rita lived a very full life. She enjoyed traveling with her family out west. She traveled throughout Europe, Mexico and The Bahamas. Her favorite trip of all was to Georgia and North Carolina in the fall to see the leaves turn. She spent many Christmases in Atlanta with her daughters and granddaughter. She had stayed in many Georgia State Park cabins and houses with her family attending festivals and antique shopping. Rita loved pansies, poinsettias, Christmas, chocolate, a good book or movie. She loved the band Alabama but she also loved gospel music and good Italian music. She loved celebrations for any holiday. She grew up in Lake Wales Christian Church but after marriage attended Okeechobee Methodist until her dementia took her from it.
Shortly before her demise she told the chaplain that Jesus was her friend and she was going to see him.
Rita was proceeded in death by her parents, her mother and father in law, Jonathan Earl Rucks, I and Mary Emily Brown Rucks "Merry", her husband of 60 years, Davis Brent Rucks, her nephew Gary Wade Rucks and her son in law Abdellah Lalouani Zaoui.
Rita is survived by her daughter Carol Anita Rucks-AlSaedi (Ali), daughter Jill Antoinette Rucks-Zaoui, granddaughter Hannah Alexandra Rucks-Zaoui, sister Carol Annette Lasseter Whigham (Harris), sister Vickie Lasseter Sumner (Larry), brother in law Gary Frank Rucks (Suzanna), brother in law Jonathan Earl Rucks, II (Mary Jane), sister in love Phyllis Joy Whitehurst Rucks Tuscani (Robert), sister in love Betty Louise Williams Rucks Hazellief (David), nephews Clinton and Erick Rucks, Mark and Christopher Whigham, Jeffery Sumner, nieces Cari Rucks Arnold, Elizabeth Whigham Cannoy, Laura Sumner Storch.
Rita was from several Florida Pioneer Families who established in Florida before it was a state. She was a member of the Eastern Star.

Rita's funeral will be Friday at 10:00, 21st August at Buxton Funeral Home, Okeechobee, Florida.