Obituary of Rita Beron Myntti

Rita Beron Myntti, of Duluth, died age 92 on March 5th 2019 at the Hospice of St Luke's Hospital from complications of a fall. She was born to Raymond and Gilberte (Lachance) Beron on April 7, 1927 at home in Proctor, MN. She graduated from Proctor High School in the class of 1945.

Rita married Donald C Myntti on November 26, 1947 at St. Rose Catholic Church in Proctor, Minnesota. Yvonne McDonald, of Proctor, and Sigurd Olson Jr, of Ely, were attendants. Over their married life Rita and Don had five children and moved 25 times, criss-crossing the United States following Don's mining and naval careers.

Rita married at the age of 20 before she finished college, always with the knowledge that she would finish when time permitted. After accumulating credits toward a degree from several institutions, she finally received her Bachelors degree summa cum laude in 1990 from the University of Evansville, in Evansville IN. She was inducted into the honor society Phi Kappa Phi that year. In May 2006, at the age of 79, Rita graduated with a Masters of Liberal Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), Duluth MN.

Rita worked as a professional model, travel agent, and stockbroker, but her twin passions were painting and writing. She wrote travel articles, children's stories and three novels (under her maiden name Rita J Beron): The Monet Deception (2000); Family Voices (2003); and The Breath of the Dragon (2010).

She was a member of the American Association of University Women, and various opera, book and public affairs discussion groups. She was also a member of the Kitchi Gammi Club, University for Seniors at UMD, and she volunteered at the Damiano Center and the Salvation Army.

Her greatest joys in life were her husband, children, grandchildren, and new great-grandson. Her friends universally describe her as elegant, kind and intelligent.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Raymond and Giles. Her survivors include her husband of 72 years, Donald, Duluth; four daughters: Dr. Cynthia Myntti and her husband Dr. Norbert Hirschhorn, London, England; Valerie Myntti and her husband Frank Sherman, Ely MN; Andrea Myntti-Groom and her husband Michael Groom, Mabank TX; Laura Myntti, Madison WI; one son: Charles Myntti, Da Nang, Vietnam; one brother: Richard Beron, Proctor MN; seven grandchildren: Patrick Groom, Agatha Venters, Rebekah Sherman-Myntti, Ivie Myntti, Kirsi Myntti, Beron Selkregg, and Mills Selkregg; one great-grandchild, Charles Venters; and beloved relatives Steve Myntti and John Prola.

Service: A celebration of Rita's life will be held at 11am, on Monday August 12, 2019 at the Benedictine Health Center Chapel, 935 Kenwood Avenue, Duluth, with visitation prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Scandia Cemetery, 3200 London Road, Duluth, with arrangements made by the Cremation Society of Minnesota.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Hospice at St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth; the University of Evansville, Evansville, IN (Office of Development); and Mercy Corps, Prescott, AZ 86304. The family would like to thank Dr. Luke Midlo, Dr. Kruti Patel, and the extraordinary staff at the Hospice at St. Luke's Hospital. The family would also like to thank Rita's wonderful friends and the loving staff at Westwood and Marywood of the Benedictine Living Community of Duluth.