Rita Helen Canfield

March 8, 1935 - June 5, 2020

Rita Helen Williamson Canfield died peacefully at home with her family on the evening of June 5, 2020 from complications related to Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and an on-going infection. Rita, the daughter of Clair Williamson and Helen Johnston Williamson, was born in Wichita, Kansas, on March 8th, 1935. Her father was an electrical engineer who built power plants for local communities, and her mother worked for the Wichita Eagle newspaper. The family Rita knew as she grew up included, besides her brother and sister, two doting great aunts who lived nearby. She flourished in school. Her classmates in their large high school elected Rita to the Student Council every year. After high school graduation she enrolled in the Wesley Hospital Nursing School and graduated in August, 1957. Those years were formative in that through the influence of the Nurses' Christian Fellowship Rita became an active Christian. At some point she had decided she wanted to serve as a missionary somewhere, and would probably not marry. Her involvement with Nurses Christian Fellowship gave that interest more focus and, through its emphasis on scripture study, more substance. In spring 1956 Rita went to a weekend retreat with several members of her Nurses Christian Fellowship chapter and students from other universities. By chance Robert (Bob) Canfield attended the conference. He had spent two years as a teacher of English in Afghanistan and had completed a year studying linguistics at the University of Michigan; although he had planned to return to Afghanistan he was about to be drafted into the army. As part of the conference Rita led discussion of a Biblical passage and Bob was in her group. After the discussion the other folks in the group dispersed, but Rita and Bob stayed, sitting on a sunny patch of grass, and talked. That was the essence of their contact at the conference, two hours of a friendly conversation, but Bob made up his mind to pursue the relationship. Because he was soon inducted in the army his only means of contact was the mail. After corresponding for several months Bob wrote a letter of proposal. In her response Rita equivocated. Bob convinced himself there was still a chance and continued writing letters. By the time he could see her again, the next August, Rita accepted an engagement ring. (When her classmates noticed the ring they drenched her in the shower fully clothed.) Rita had one more year to graduate from nursing school. During that year, Wesley Hospital nominated her as their candidate in a statewide contest for the most outstanding nursing student. The Hospital also used Rita to model student life in an advertising brochure. All the photos produced during that period were cherished by her soon-to-be husband. After graduating as an RN from nursing school, Rita traveled to Germany where Bob had been posted. They were married in Schweinfurt on September 21st, 1957. Bob mustered out of the army in January. By that time he had accepted another teaching position in Afghanistan. When the couple arrived in Kabul, March, 1958, Rita was several months pregnant. She gave birth to their first child, Kim Lee, on September 12th, 1958. Two other children were born in Kabul, each 14 months apart, Howard Evan on November 5th, 1959, and Steven Jon on January 29th, 1961. Rita loved Kabul. She and a friend explored the crafts and jewelry shops in the bazaar for fine examples of Central Asian artistry. During those years -- from March 1959 to December, 1963 – Rita studied Afghan Persian, and became proficient enough to give a course in Persian in food hygiene for local Afghan women. She also worked in a small clinic/hospital sponsored by the American embassy for the American expatriates in the country and treated some mysterious individuals on behalf of the US Government. The family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in January, 1964, where Bob entered a doctoral program in anthropology. Rita was active in lives of her children as a Cub Scout Den Mother and as a Brownie Mother and Girl Scout leader. During that time an issue arose that became deeply painful to Rita. She bore the brunt of a situation that challenged her faith and courage for many years; her prayers and fasts over this issue deeply enriched her appreciation for a Savior who suffered as we do. After two years in Ann Arbor, the family moved back to Afghanistan for Bob to do field research. Rita turned out to have a critical role in his success. At one time she managed a feast for two dozen Pashtun tribal leaders -- preparations took three days. As a nurse Rita was often sought out for help by the sick. One time a man from the Hazara ethnic minority brought to the door his wife who suffered from tuberculosis. Rita’s relationship with that family brought Bob into close connection with a number of Hazaras and opened up unique possibilities for anthropological research in that community. The information collected among the Hazaras of Central Afghanistan nourished his writings, including his dissertation, for many years. In fall 1969 Bob took a teaching position at Washington University in St Louis. After a few years Rita decided to return to nursing, but felt her skills were rusty, so she applied to the Bachelor of Nursing program at St. Louis University. Having completed this degree she worked as a community nurse for a while, but eventually decided to apply to the master’s degree program at St Louis University. She completed the degree in 1979, submitting a thesis on "Non Pharmacological Interventions for the Relief of Pain." Rita began teaching nursing at Southern Illinois University -Edwardsville. During that time her department encouraged their faculty to pursue doctor’s degrees, and Rita applied to an advanced program at Rush University in Chicago, where she could take courses full time in summer and do part-time work from home the rest of the year. She completed the Doctorate in Nursing Science degree in 2002, defending a dissertation entitled, "The Effect of Physical Activity on Psychological and Physiological Outcomes among Caregivers of Relatives with Dementia." In 2013, Rita had a series of minor strokes, and a major one in October which were not diagnosed until early January, 2014, when a biopsy of her brain was taken: she had Non-Hodgkin’s large B-cell lymphoma. Treatment at Barnes-Jewish Hospital enabled her to slowly regain skills and strength that had been lost in previous months. She was always grateful to the nurses, and sent so many flowers that the florist knew her by name. She did well for the next five years, but in the summer of 2019 there were indications that the lymphoma was reappearing. Rita was a voracious reader throughout her life, especially of mysteries, which she often completed in a day. She loved plants and worked many days in the yard. She spent many afternoons at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Throughout Rita’s time in St Louis she assisted the immigrant community – and remained close to Afghans. She made a point of walking every day and going for long walks in the woods several times a year. She was a life-long church member, most-recently as a member of the One Family Church. Many friends found her a loving listener; over the years she acquired a number of younger friends who adopted her as a kind of second mother. She leaves behind her husband of 62 years, a daughter Kim Canfield Kackley of Boston MA, two sons, Howard Evan Canfield of Tucson AZ, and Stephen Jon Canfield of Hannibal, MO; also a sister, Myrna Scott of Newton, KS, and brother, C. Q. Williamson of Bethlehem, PA, and five grand-children: Christian, Joshua, Ariana, Benjamin, and Helen. Rita had many friends and “surrogate children” who adopted her through the years. Memorial Service held Saturday, July 18, 2020 3:00 p.m. at One Family Church 4265 Shaw Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63110. To virtually watch Memorial Service, go to the following link, https://youtu.be/sdSBC2pGprY. Comments, pictures and recollections about Rita may be posted below this announcement on Facebook. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made in honor of Rita to Non-Profit Organizations such as International Rescue Committee or Save the Children. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." [Revelation 21:3-4]