Iretha “Rita” Westerfield, administrative assistant in Capital Assets at NAU, died Feb. 11, 2011, in Flagstaff. She was 57.
Ms. Westerfield was born in DeKalb, Miss., on Jan. 5, 1954, to Randolph and Mary Lean Westerfield.
Ms. Westerfield graduated from Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland in 1971. She moved to Flagstaff in 1991, and earned her associate’s degree from Coconino Community College. She began working in Capital Assets at NAU in 1999.
Extremely bright and outgoing as a child, Ms. Westerfield loved to learn, and she spent her life grasping all the knowledge she could. She liked camping, fishing, crocheting and traveling. Ms. Westerfield was very close to her family, enjoyed her place of employment and valued the friendships that were established there.
Ms. Westerfield is survived by her daughters, Regina Westerfield of Tucson and Zauria Bryant of Flagstaff; one granddaughter; brother Melvin Pride Jr. of Cleveland; sisters Yolonda (William) Byrd, Angela (Rashid) Williams and Ranice (Kenny) White of Cleveland, and MaryAnn Mangum of New Orleans; aunts Flossie, Tharnell, Moneq and Thelma; uncle Elmer; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Randolph Westerfield and Mary Lean Jackson, and siblings Laployd, Randy and Kimberly Westerfield.
A funeral service will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Lozano’s Flagstaff Mortuary, 2545 N. Fourth St.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Compass Bank, account 2521700451. Cards can be sent directly to the family or e-mailed to Condolences@Lozanos-FlagstaffMortuary.com.