—
Rita A. (Desbiens) Landry, 78, of Windsor, N.H. passed away Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010, surrounded by her loving family in the Pleasant View Center in Concord, N.H.
Mrs Landry was born on the west side of Manchester on Oct. 25, 1931, daughter of the late Alonzo and Alice (Boulanger) Desbiens. She and her husband Guy were longtime (1960-1991) residents of Londonderry.
She was the first woman in the city of Manchester to be issued a motorcycle driver's license. In fact she met her future husband Guy Landry when she and her girlfriend were out for a ride one day. She married Guy in 1955 and the two of them eventually ran a motorcycle shop for almost 30 years. She was an avid bowler and in 1960 she and her partner Winnie Palmer won the state candlepin doubles championship in an upset. Mrs Landry also loved fishing and fished whenever she had the chance for many years. She was also an inaugural member of the Windham Women's Softball League in the early 1970s. In the league's first year, her team, the Red Wino's, went undefeated (13-0). During retirement she and her husband enjoyed traveling around northern New England, especially Maine.
She is survived by her husband, Guy G. Landry of Windsor; two daughters, Leah M. Peters of Derry, N.H., and Marie A. O'Keefe of Londonderry; three sons, Maurice Landry of Greenfield, N.H., Michael R Landry of Tampa, Fla., and Henry C. Landry of Windsor, N.H.; five grandchildren, Deidre Landry, Stephanie O'Keefe, Mark Schultz, Kevin Schultz and Aimee Landry; one sister, Doris Milonas of Manchester, N.H. She is predeceased by her son, Roger Landry in 1977; two brothers, Roger and George Desbiens, and sister, Theresa Desbiens.
ARRANGEMENTS: A wake was held Sunday afternoon at Peabody Funeral Home in Londonderry. This was followed by a service the following morning and burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Londonderry. Donations in her memory may be made to the Payson Center at Concord Hospital, 250 Pleasant St., Concord, NH 03301; or to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.
