Rita M. Ballas

Rita M. (Guillemette) Ballas, 93, of Buzzards Bay, MA, died October 18, 2018 at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, MA after a period of declining health.

She was born in Manchester on November 19, 1924 to Napoleon and Blanche (Gagnon) Guillemette. She lived her life in Manchester and several Massachusetts communities.

Rita worked at the Puritan Restaurant and Garland Sweater until her move to Massachusetts. She was an avid reader and enjoyed crossword puzzles, bowling the Red Sox.

She was predeceased by her husband, William Ballas in 1961; a daughter, Jo-Ann Martin in 2014; and six siblings, Doris Talbot, Lucille St. Laurent, Roger Guillemette, Robert Guillemette, Pauline Mailman and Ronald Guillemette.

The family includes three children, Phyllis Boisvert of Manchester, Stephanie Whelen and husband, Robert, of Falmouth, MA and John Ballas and wife, Debbie, of Lakeville, MA; ten grandchildren, Kenneth Boisvert, Kathi Doucet, Amanda Mudgett, Derek Martin, Keith Martin, Jeff Martin, Christina Avery, Jennifer Gove, Michael Casieri and Ryan Ballas; 13 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild; and two siblings, Maddy Dunn and Richard Guillemette.

A funeral ceremony was held on Monday, October 22, 2018 at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St., Manchester.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2 Commerce Dr., Suite 110, Bedford, NH 03110.