Rita Gardenhire Phister Sayre OBITUARY

Rita Gardenhire Phister Sayre OBITUARY

Rita Phister Sayre has passed away peacefully at the age of 93. She was preceded in death by her parents James and Geraldine Gardenhire, brother William S. Gardenhire, and husbands Norbert V. Phister and George “Tony” Sayre. She is survived by her children Brooke Phister Mead (Andy) of Bend, OR, Jeffrey V. Phister of Temecula, CA, and Kimberly Phister Conway of Colorado Springs, five grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Rita’s early years were spent around the southwestern US as her father served in the USAAC Eighth Air Force, and in Riverside, where she would graduate from Poly High in 1948. A military posting to Washington DC had Rita attending the University of Maryland and meeting her future husband, Lt. Norbert V. Phister. Norb’s military assignments took them to Hawaii, New York, Virginia, Germany, and Missouri as they raised their children together. Their retirement from the USAF took them back to Riverside in 1967. Norb passed away in 1981.A year later Rita was reintroduced to a Poly High School classmate, George “Tony” Sayre, and it was love at first sight. Inseparable, Rita and Tony loved to travel in their Crimson and Gold motor home as ardent boosters of USC Music and Football. Family reunions camping at Camp Pendleton with the motor home were the highlight of every summer. Tony passed away in 2009.Rita was very active in the Riverside community. She was a member of the Victoria Club, on the Board of the Riverside Art Alliance, on the advisory boards of Riverside National Bank and the Salvation Army, and a UCR Affiliate. She was also an instructor at Riverside City College, where she taught wildly popular cooking classes. While leading tours throughout Asia, Rita’s entrepreneurial spirit called to her. As a widow in her early 50s, she started Phister Enterprises, which she turned into a successful import/export business. Rita had legions of friends, many dating back to her days at Riverside Poly, from her travels as a military wife, and as part of the extended Riverside community. She was celebrated for her gourmet cooking and catering prowess, and used her skills for both local fundraising and entertaining family and friends. However, she spoke with the greatest pride of the positive impact she had on youth: raising her children, guiding her grandchildren, starting a nursery school in Rome, NY, supporting the nursery school at Riverside’s Salvation Army, and mentoring and nurturing many high school friends of Brooke, Jeff, and Kim. She says her bravest deed was taking 20 16-year old co-eds camping in San Felipe, BC, over one long Spring Break – everyone survived. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.