Rita Marie Azevedo, 80, passed away peacefully on September 7, 2025, at New Bethany Residential Care in Los Banos, California with her husband by her side.

Rita was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Anthony and Rita Estrella on June 5, 1945. She attended Holy Family Catholic School from kindergarten through the 12th grade. Her mother died her senior year of high school and so she moved to Los Banos, CA to live with her aunt.

Rita had a longstanding history of service to her community. She began as a volunteer for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Campaign. In 1980, she became a founding member of the committee that helped reopen the Our Lady of Miracles Catholic School in Gustine. In 1981, she became a founding member of The Westside Young Homemakers Association. She also served for 8 years as a trustee for the Gustine Unified School District Board of Education. She was the founding member of the Gustine Citizens for the 4th of July Committee and served in various roles for 30 years; she was elected Grand Marshal in 1998. In that same year, she was nominated for Merced County Woman of the Year.

Rita graduated from Stanislaus State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies in 1989 before embarking on a career in education. She began her teaching career in 1987 at Our Lady of Miracles Catholic School before moving to the Gustine Unified School District where she taught Math and Science at both the middle and high school levels. She was also a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) mentor mentoring young teachers as they began their teaching careers.

In 2007, Rita became principal of the Gustine Middle School and served in that role for 5 years. After retiring from the public school in 2012, she returned to Our Lady of Miracles to serve the Catholic school once again as principal for two years before retiring again in 2014. It was a tremendous honor for her to have had the opportunity to end her working career at the very school that helped launch her teaching career.

Rita loved teaching and she cherished every moment she had working with her students. In her 27 years working in education, she touched the lives of many helping to make her community and our world a better place to live. She loved everyone and everyone loved her.

Upon retirement, she travelled extensively taking many cruises and trips around the world. One of her great loves was spending time at the beach with friends and family. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, and she especially enjoyed when her family came together for the holidays.

After retirement, Rita continued teaching others by example in how to live, love, and laugh. She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Rollie Azevedo; her sisters Debbie Lopes and Kimberly Estrella; and her four children: Brent Azevedo, Christina Stuhlmuller and her husband Rod, and their children Rodman and Ben; Brian Azevedo and his children, Wyatt, Adrian, and Riley; and Jonathan Azevedo and his wife Angela, and their children Christiana, Audriana, and Amelie.

A Visitation will be held at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Hillview Funeral Chapel in Gustine followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am, Friday, September 19, 2025, at Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to OLM School, Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, Gusto, Gustine Historical Society or your favorite charity.

Interment will be held Monday, September 22, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, CA.

Services conducted by Hillview Funeral Chapel, Gustine.