Rita Corbett (27 Aug 1950 - 27 Dec 2021)

In loving memory of Rita Corbett who sadly passed away on 27th December 2021

Daughter of Reginald and Gladys Pitman and half sister to older brother Keith Rita was raised as a farmers daughter

She attended Plumtree Girls High School where she later got an A-Level in Zoology which she joked helped her in later life, Pub Life

Rita trained to be a dental nurse before having her two children Tina Suzette and Cameron Reginald and later when Tina was 5 and Cameron was 3 she moved back to live with her parents in Bunny. She worked in the family village shop here in Bunny and also worked shifts behind the bar and in the restaurant at the Rancliffe Arms, this was to pave the way for her career in life

A few years later she moved to her own pub, the Victoria Tavern in Ruddington, there she created a busy successful business for almost ten years and was a popular and well liked person with both the staff and the customers who were always welcomed with a "Hello darlin’”

She continued her success in several more pubs in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, where she was known for her beautiful hanging baskets outside, achieving top tenant 5 years running and being rewarded with trips to America, Canada and Monte Carlo where she felt like she fitted in well. Rita had a great love of fashion and glamour and her and Tina enjoyed many shopping trips including trips to New York and Boston. Rita was also voted as best Bet Lynch lookalike in a competition by the Leicester Mercury, an award which she accepted with tongue in cheek.

Rita was fabulous at knitting before it was trendy, a skill she learnt from her mother when she was young, she was always accompanied by a four legged friend or two and when she did have time to relax Rita liked to read a trashy novel or an auto biography

Rita also loved spending time with her grandson Frankie Bert and they always enjoyed their adventures in Frankies summer holidays both here and when Gran took Frankie back to Canada to see where he now lived

After many years in the pub trade Rita and John moved to Bulwell for a quieter life and Rita continued her love of fashion by working at TUTU a boutique clothing shop in Nottingham before working with Cameron in Mayfields wine bar where she finally rang last orders for the last time on Pub life before taking a part time job working with Maids

Rita, John and Molly then relocated to Hucknall where they built a home together. Both Rita and John had a shared love of Goldwing motorbikes and travelled around the country to Wingdings where they were joined by hundreds of other enthusiasts. Rita really enjoyed these weekends and loved to sit in the rear armchair seat of the Goldwing waving back to the people lined up watching the bikes ride out

They also went to the American car show weekend ‘The Americana’ many times with their Chevy often winning awards which Rita was very proud of

She loved her garden always excited when Spring was in the air as this meant the plants and bulbs from the last year were coming to life and bringing plenty of colour in the pots and hanging baskets all around her garden plus her vegetables in her polytunnel. Still knitting she was always making something for herself or sending packages with jumpers to Tina in France and of course was never without Molly by her side