Rita Marie Warden

Rita Marie Warden passed on to eternal life on May 29, 2010, in a fatal car crash in Madison, Wisconsin. Rita Marie was the firstborn of eight children of Dr. Richard and Frances Kosterman. From an early age, Rita found her heart drawn to beautiful things; she loved music, art, and nature. As the eldest, Rita took on the role of the watching over the younger siblings, a task that became complicated when her mother contracted polio when Rita was age 5.   Her mother was pregnant at the time, and delivered a healthy boy while in an iron lung. Two more children followed. Although Rita's journey began with these unexpected life events, her upbringing as a Catholic Christian became a great strength and consolation throughout her 59 years of life.   At St. John's grade school, Rita became an accomplished pianist, and accompanied student music ensembles; she also played the flute in the band. A graduate of Antigo Senior High School, Rita pursued a degree in horticulture at the University of Wisconsin -- Wausau Extension, and then transferred to University of Wisconsin -- Madison to study music therapy. In Madison, she met her future spouse, Philip Warden, and they were joined in holy matrimony on June 18, 1977.   In recent years, Rita shared the joy she found in music by teaching piano and playing at church services.   She also found her gift for teaching young children as a reading tutor. Rita was filled with delight whenever she helped a child achieve a learning breakthrough or successfully tackle a challenging assignment. Kids made her very happy, and she very much looked forward to her own grandchildren being at her side to read to and play with.   An administrative assistant at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, for many years, Rita was known for her meticulous editing skills, a talent much appreciated by the academic faculty she served. Being ""organized"" was a trait so polished by Rita that she even made a business out of it for a few years. She enjoyed order in all things, which carried over to her spiritual life and helped her put into perspective the joys and the sorrows that this life held for her.   Rita held her dear brothers and sisters close to her heart, particularly her sister Therese who has faced many struggles throughout her life and who has valued Rita's support through these challenges. She was also proud of her father, who found his second calling as a Catholic priest after Rita's mother died at the age of 64. Although geographical distance separated all of Rita's immediate family (daughter Jayna resides in California, and siblings live as far as Alaska), they remained close and looked forward to any time visits were planned.   While a gentle woman in her manner, Rita's convictions about decency, justice, and truth rested firmly on a passionate foundation. Rita made it a priority to listed to talk radio and read about the issues of our society and church, which prepared her to share her opinion when necessary. She participated in regular intercessory prayer groups with members of both Christ the King parish and St. Thomas Aquinas parish. Praying for our country and the needs of others was a vocation of her heart, as well as a source of inner peace.   The birth of Rita's only child, Jayna, would be a constant source of Rita's pride and happiness throughout her life. Raising Jayna to be a strong, compassionate young woman was extremely important to Rita. Rita took care to provide her daughter with a solid education at Catholic schools, and showed Jayna how to enjoy the simple things in life such as feeding bread to ducks or going swimming at the local YMCA. Most recently, Rita was thrilled to meet Jayna's fiance at Christmas in California, and to learn that she was going to be a grandmother in late November this year.   Delight, perseverance, and determination fueled Rita's pastimes and endeavors, be it traveling to Alaska to visit her brother and his family, sledding with Jayna down a formidable hill after a Madison blizzard, tackling the chaos of an abandoned storage room, or canoeing and exploring the natural treasures of the small lake and surrounding area outside of her in-laws' cabin near Spooner, Wisconsin. Another great love was watercolor painting. She particularly appreciated the Danish painter Carl Bloch because of his unique portrayal of light. Rita had the ability to appreciate the details of her surroundings, a talent which she represented in her own watercolor paintings in recent years.   Always the planner, she looked down the road of her life at age 57 and decided to return to college and finish her degree at UW-Madison. Her studies included learning Spanish, something she had always wanted to do, and ultimately completing the requirements to teach English as a second language.   Through her years of struggle as a single parent, Rita worked hard to maintain and grow her faith, and considered her relationship with God and Jesus as her source of strength, serenity, inspiration -- everything. The sparkle in her eyes and the peaceful demeanor of her presence were a blessing to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her, whether for a brief time or longer. Her example of a heroic soul who remained steadfast in her faith in her God and those she loved will be her final lesson for us all. Rita, we already miss you very much, and will until we meet again...     There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH on Thurs. June 3, 2010 at 11:00 a. m. with Msgr. Donn Heiar presiding. There will be a visitation at the church from 10:00 a. m. until the time of service. There will be an additional visitation at CRESS FUNERAL SERVICE, 5801 Hwy. 51, McFarland on Wed. June 2, 2010 from 5:00 until 7:00 p. m.   In lieu of flowers a suggested list for memorial donations will be provided: Madison Reading & Learning Center, 5555 Odana Rd. Suite 205, Madison, WI 53719, (608) 238-7323, email jspoznik@tds.net, for the Rita Warden Scholarship Fund; Intercessors of the Lamb, 11811 Calhoun Rd., Omaha, Nebraska 68152; Walbridge School, 7035 Old Sauk Rd. Madison, WI 53717; 40 Days For Life, 3515-B Longmire #316, College Station, TX 77845 or Retrouvaille of Madison, http://www.madisonmarrigehelp.com Rita Warden Scholarship Fund.