R. Guernsey Obituary

Oak Park, IL - R. Rita Ford Guernsey died on March 17, 2026. She was born on May 4, 1931, in Janesville, WI, the daughter of Leo J. and Grace Garin Ford. Rita was a 1949 graduate of Janesville High School and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1953. She married Anthony H. Guernsey on August 17, 1963. He preceded her in death on January 4, 2013. Rita is survived by her daughter Julia E. Guernsey (Michael Love) of Austin, TX; her son, Michael A. Guernsey (Xolaira Ayala), of Phoenix, AZ; her daughter Sarah E. Guernsey (Richard Holland) of Oak Park, IL; her grandchildren Abigail and Jack Kappelman and Isabel Love, Xolange Montilla Ayala, and Max and Hank Holland. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her sisters, Mary Ford Owen and Rose Ford Cummins; and her brothers Bill, Jim, and Jerry Ford.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at Ascension Church in Oak Park, IL, at 10:30 am on Friday, April 24. A visitation will be held at 9:30 am at the church before the Mass. Interment will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Janesville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Feed My Starving Children (https://www.fmsc.org).