Rita Burke Prime M.A. ’76, M.A. ’91  After a full and complete life, passed away peacefully August 3, 2009. Rita Margaret Mary Burke was born in New York City on 11/21/1915. She lost both her parents early in life, and lived in Connecticut with her step-grandmother, who was the joy of Rita’s young life, and who inspired her love of Ireland and all things Irish, who nurtured in her the complete love and support of her family, and the inclusion in this family of all she came in contact with. If you ever met Rita, you knew she was "tough Irish", a coffee "fiend", a "fresh air fanatic", and a lifelong Dodgers fan. You also probably fell in love with her and became her friend forever. Rita met Ellis Roy Prime and they married on September 14, 1942 in New York City. Soon after, Rita and Roy moved to Los Angeles, where they had three children, Robert Bruce, Mary Ann, and Patricia Kathryn. They established a home and a strong base of family and friends, raised their children, and were very active in their Church. Rita always considered Los Angeles her "true home". Rita completed her college degree and began teaching high school in Southern California. Rita and Roy moved to Mountain View, Calif., in July of 1970, and Rita quickly became a teacher at Milpitas High School. She founded and ran their reading program and was the band counselor. During that time she was awarded a master’s degree from Santa Clara University in education. While at SCU she joined Pi Lambda Theta sorority, and coordinated and ran a program dispersing information about head injuries, among many other projects. She also opened and ran an educational supply store for several years, all while still teaching. After retiring from Milpitas, she continued in education by consulting for the East Side Union High School district in San Jose. After moving north, Rita and Roy became parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church in Mountain View. They became very involved with many aspects of the Church, and Rita was a founding member of the pastoral counseling group there. She returned to Santa Clara University and was awarded a master’s degree in pastoral counseling. She continued as a lay minister and pastoral counselor past 2000. She had boundless energy, a smile for everyone, and a truly caring spirit of uncommon joy and generosity. Her greatest pride was her family: Robert Bruce (Donna), Mary Ann, and Patricia Kathryn (Doug McLean); her grandchildren Michael Bruce Prime (Warapha), Dennis Robert Prime (Lisa), William Wiley Bedsworth II (Louise), and Megan Aileen Bedsworth (Kent Bailey), and her great-grandchildren Kaelan, Jesse, Olivia, Gavin, Ellie, Colleen, and Wiley. She was the center of a loving family and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.