Rita Mae Charles - February 11, 1933 – June 9, 2026
Rita passed peacefully into glory at home in her 93rd year on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Rita was born in New Prague and raised in Montgomery by Lillian and GW Charles. She is survived by her husband Richard “Duke” Heimbigner; her children Kent Klingensmith, Lori Matthews and Heidi (Charlie) Hamp; her grandchildren, Daniel Klingensmith, Connor Matthews, Shannon and Henry Hamp, Daniel (Vy) Nguyen, Lisa (Aaron) Schweitzer; her seven great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and her niece Dawn Pierratt.
Rita was immensely grateful for her dear friends, Wanda (Mel) White, Mary (Jack) Kelly and Shirley Hudson. She was predeceased by her twin sister Fredericka Pieratt and Verne Klingensmith.
She trained as a kind and caring RN and married Verne in 1955. They lived in White Bear Lake and Edina, Minnesota. She became certified as a registered nurse anesthetist and in 1978, they moved to Bozeman, Montana where she also served in the Army reserves for a short time. They then moved on to Helena and Rita worked at St. Peter’s hospital for 18 years. She married Duke Heimbigner in 2003. They traveled extensively and enjoyed life together with their dog.
Rita loved to travel and visited six continents and all 50 states. Rita will be remembered as a woman who spoke her mind freely. She volunteered at many philanthropic organizations over the years. To her family, she was the best wife, mother and grandmother we could have hoped for.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Rocky Mountain Development Council Senior Center or Saint Peter's Episcopal Cathedral, Helena, Montana.