Rita K. Pruitt

Rita Kathryn Pruitt beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend has entered Heaven\u0027s gates. Rita met with Father Kelash on September 22nd and received her last rights and felt at peace. Shortly after 2:00 A.M. on September 23, 2013, while laying at her husband\u0027s side, she passed in her sleep. She was born to Quintin and Isabel Hartjes of Wis. Rapids, Wisc. on October 27, 1939. The Hartjes family relocated to Steilacoom Washington where Rita attended Clover Park High School and at that time met her lifelong sweetheart Jack Pruitt. They were wed after a three month engagement on December 21, 1957. Rita worked with children with special needs as a teacher\u0027s aide for 30 years, 25 of those years spent in Spanaway, WA. Upon retirement Rita enjoyed traveling throughout various parts of the country with her husband and eventually relocated to Clarkdale, Arizona where they enjoyed several sunsets together often reminding them of the sunsets they\u0027d seen on their 50th Anniversary cruise to Alaska. Rita leaves behind her husband of 56 years, Jack Pruitt; four sons, Dean Pruitt of Lakewood, WA, Mike Pruitt of Lakewood, WA, Randall Pruitt of Puyallup, WA, Bruce Pruitt of Portland, OR; nine grandchildren and one great grandchild; and her brother, Jerry Hartjes of Rockledge, FL. She will be deeply missed by all. In the near future there will be a Celebration of Life in Washington State where the majority of Rita\u0027s friends and family are located. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society in her name.