Rita Mae Meachum

Our dear mother, Rita Mae Cannaliato Meachum, 80, of Pangburn, A.R., sadly passed away on the beautiful morning of Sunday, February 12, 2023, after battling Leukemia.

Rita was born in New Orleans, L.A. on April 16, 1942, to the late Thomas Cannaliato and Mary Balestra Cannaliato Vallee.

On September 7, 1976, Rita Married Tommie Lee Meachum, together they raised five wonderful children.

Left to cherish her memory are her four children: Tammy (Jackie) Moffitt of Romance, A.R.; Terri (Jim) Niessen of Broken Arrow, O.K.; Tommie Meachum of Searcy, A.R. and Darlene Fehrenbacher of Hot Springs Village, A.R. Her grandchildren & great-grandchildren: Michael (Kristen) Niessen and their children, Chase and Brielle; Heather (William) Patterson and their two girls, Kendyl and Saoirse; Lorenz (Bailey) Fehrenbacher and their son Jax; Philip (Jessica) Holloway and their son, Nash; Aaron Holloway; Lilliana (fiancé-Austin) Fehrenbacher and their daughter Josephine; Levi (girlfriend-Gracie) Fehrenbacher; Nikki (Matt) Pfleger and their two girls, Briley & Braydee, Zach Moffitt, Tiffany Walls and her daughter Ember; her two brothers-in-law, James “JJ” Breaux and Pete (Athena) Pasley; her two sisters-in-law, Sharon (Gary) Tharp and Reba Pasley; a half-sister, Julie (Sinclair) Mixon and many more nieces and nephews that she so dearly loved along with a very dear friend, Betty Ann Sullivan.

In addition to her parents, Rita is preceded in death by her husband, Tom; stepdaughter, Anna Meachum; her two sisters, Lena Breaux and Bernadine “Bernie” Borne; her mother-in-law, Sybal Pasley; her brothers-in-law, George Borne and Malvin “Moody” Pasley; her nephew, Dwayne Pasley; her Godchild, Rodney Breaux and her great-nephew, Caleb Bergeron.

Rita loved watching her game shows, soap operas and Hallmark movies. She loved to read, play cards, dominos, put together puzzles, cook and eating some good seafood.

But, most of all, she loved her family specially her grandkids and great grandkids. She happily shared her birthday with her grandson, Aaron Holloway, she said he was the best birthday gift ever! She never met a stranger and would talk to everyone about everything. She will be dearly missed by so many.

Those who would like to share a gift, may donate to their choice of cancer foundation in her memory. Rita was a survivor of both breast and lung cancer, but leukemia is what finally wore her down. She has now gained her angel wings and we know that she is now comfortably watching over us.

Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Sullivan Funeral Care in Kensett, AR.