Rita S. Verheggen

Rita S Verheggen died peacefully in Columbia, Illinois, Tuesday morning after a brief illness.

Born Rita Irene Sikorski in Dunkirk, New York to Edward and Betty, she graduated from Dunkirk High School, received a Bachelor's Degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and completed nursing school at Augustana Hospital Nursing School in Chicago, Illinois. She is remembered as a major contributor to patient care and advocacy in Chicago's HIV and AIDS community during the 1980s and 1990s, and as a fierce protector of all of her children, natural and chosen.

Rita is survived by her son, Robert, many honorary children, three grandchildren, and her surly cat. She is predeceased by her parents and her daughter Hilary.

A memorial will be announced at a later date on her social media page.