Rita H. Vanderveer

Rita H. VanDerveer died peacefully on January 18, 2026 at Athens, Ohio. Rita was born on July 29, 1927 to Julia and Edward Hannigan in Springfield, MA. The family spent Rita’s childhood there and later moved to Centerville on Cape Cod.Rita continued her love of New England. She earned a BA Degree and a Master’s of Education at New England College and taught school at the high school in Sheffield, MA in the Berkshire mountains and in Newington, Conn. While studying for her Master’s Degree at Springfield College, Springfield, MA she met and later married a fellow student Dunbar Nicholas VanDerveer, called Van from Bronxville, NY. Her husband of 45 years, predeceased her in 1997. They were parents of five children, Tara, Beth, Marie, Dunbar Nicholas, Jr. (Nick) and Heidi. Beth married Bill Dodd who had two sons and Marie’s children are Garrett and Paige Simpson. Garrett married Katherine Gomez and Paige married Dan McMahan. Makai is the son of Heidi VanDerveer.While raising their 5 children, Rita and Van continued their careers as educators. Rita returned to academia to earn a Master’s of Science Degree in Speech Pathology and a Certificate of Clinical Competency from American Speech Language and Hearing Association having completed a clinical internship at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. Rita worked to promote programs for children with special needs in speech, hearing and language during her forty years as an educator.  At the Schenectady/Albany area she was employed at Sunnyview Primary Rehabilitation Center in Schenectady. In western NY she was a clinician at St Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, NY, a teacher/consultant at Deveaux School in Niagara Falls and worked for the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Niagara Orleans and Wayne/Finger Lakes regions.Since 1962 the VanDerveer family have been summer residents of Chautauqua, NY at Chautauqua Institution having purchased the Lakeside Lodge, a guest house for 28 summers and now a family residence. Rita taught at the Chautauqua Special Studies Program and served on the boards of the Art Museum, Garden Club and graduated in 1999 from CLSC.Following the death of the children’s father, Rita remarried Robert Lewis. He had three daughters, Lynn, Lea (Doug) and Laurie (Stephen). Rita and Bob traveled extensively in the U.S. and many foreign countries. Bob predeceased Rita in 2003. In 2014 Rita moved to The Carillon at Boulder Creek, CO.A private family service will be held at the graveside in Chautauqua NY Cemetery. Contributions in her memory can be made to the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY.  Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online register at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.