Rita was born October 2, 1937 in Brooklyn NY to Joseph and Charlotte Egan.  Rita attended Bishop McDonnell HS in Brooklyn and went on to college earning her teaching degree.

April 25, 1959, Rita married John P. Burke in the catholic church she attended as a child.  Shortly after, they moved to St. Petersburg, VA where John was stationed in the Army. Rita taught 6^th grade at a neighboring church, St. James. In 1961 she and John moved back to New York living in Queens.

Their oldest daughter, Maura, was adopted in February 1963 and daughter Deirdre, in 1973.

In 1976 the move was made to Bethesda, MD.  John began working at NIH and Rita taught at St. Ann’s Jr. High in Washington, DC.  In 1982, Rita became a government employee working for NIH National Cancer Institute.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Charlotte Egan, spouse John Burke, and her brother Joseph Egan. She is survived by her daughter, Maura Sant and her three children, daughter Maegan and son Adam. Sons Nicholas, and Ian as well as her husband, John Sant. Rita’s daughter, Deirdre Chenault, and her four children. Will and his son Jensen, daughters Kaitlyn, Olivia, Amanda, and her daughter Everly.

Rita was active in her church and Women’s Bible group. She was a breast cancer survivor of over 40 years. Rita loved her children, grandchildren, Agatha Christie novels and her dogs.