Mary "Rita" Daigle

Mary Rita Daigle, 97, of Worcester, MA passed away peacefully at Notre Dame Long Term Care Center on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 surrounded by her loving family. Rita was born January 19, 1928 to J. Leo and Eugenie (LeBlanc) Casey in Gardner, MA.

Rita was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Ron; sister Jeannette (Casey) Girouard; and her parents. She is survived by her children Janet (Daigle) Mallard of Nashua, NH, Kenneth and wife Kathleen (Dolan) Daigle of Holden, MA; grandchildren, Jennifer (Mallard) Vitkauskas and husband Jesse of Walpole, MA, Timothy Mallard and wife Emily Davie of Dover, NH, Meghan (Daigle) Leo and husband Troy of Charlotte, NC, Sarah Daigle of Philadelphia, PA; great grandchildren, Jacob Vitkauskas, Olivia Vitkauskas, Duncan Mallard, Zoey Mallard as well as nieces and nephews.

She graduated Salutatorian from Gardner High School and worked in her father’s store, Casey’s Market during those years. Rita married J. Ronald (Ron) Daigle in June of 1949 and together they lived in Gardner until 1954. After moving to Worcester, in addition to being a homemaker, Rita always helped Ron with his businesses doing bookkeeping, first in Public Accounting and later in Guiding Channels Printing Company, which she co-founded.

Rita was very active in many ways at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Worcester. She served as a Parish Council member, Women’s Sodality president, and her pride and joy, she started the parish senior citizen group called the “Friendly Folks” which met bi-weekly for 27 years providing many fun social activities including annual trips near and far throughout the United States. She and Ron also served as a Diocesan Family Life couple and helped coordinate the activities of family life couples in 133 parishes in Worcester County. She also got great joy from her involvement in the Retired Men’s (now Friends) Club of Greendale in which she and Ron ran trips in the US and across the globe. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her great grandchildren and grandchildren playing cribbage, puzzle-making and reading books.

Family and Friends are invited to calling hours on Friday, December 12th, 2025 from 9:30am until 10:30am at Callahan, Fay & Caswell Life Celebration Home, 61 Myrtle Street, Worcester. A funeral Mass will follow at 11:00am at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 23 Fales Street, Worcester. Burial will be in Notre Dame Cemetery, 162 Webster Street, Worcester, MA. In lieu, of flowers, please donate to Notre Dame Long Term Care Center/activities or Our Lady of the Rosary Church.