Rita Gayle Riffle

Rita Gayle Kaufman Riffle, 87, of Mission Viejo died on August 3, 2025 following a multi-year decline caused by dementia.

Rita, the oldest of six children, was born on December 1, 1937 in New Brighton, Pennsylvania to LeRoy Edward Kaufman and Rose Magdalen Hoehnen. Rita moved with her family from Pennsylvania to Culver City, California in 1948 and graduated from Culver City High School in 1955.

After working a few years in downtown Los Angeles as a secretary for Southern California Edison, Rita married John W. ("Walt") Quist on June 15, 1958. Walt's career in the United States Marine Corps caused Rita to relocate to Virginia (twice), Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, and back to California (twice). After moving to Meridian, Mississippi in 1963, Rita became outraged at the state's blatant racial segregation and served as an informant for civil rights activists. Additionally, she once deliberately sat at a segregated lunch counter reserved for African Americans (the server ignored her, and she did not receive the violent response many African Americans faced at seats reserved for whites). After returning to California, Rita became active in the movement to improve the conditions of US prisoners of war held by North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

In 1968 she and Walt bought a house in Mission Viejo that would remain her residence for more than 54 years. Walt and Rita divorced after thirteen years of marriage. Rita then married Robert Brown ("Bob") Riffle on September 30, 1972 and remained married to Bob until his passing in 2011.

After being employed by Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Rita left the workforce and embraced full-time motherhood. She returned to paid employment in 1971, spending most of the next twenty-seven years working for the Saddleback Valley Unified School District as a secretary and administrative assistant, primarily at the District's office.

Rita loved hosting a good party (she joked that she was the "hostess with the mostest"), gathering with her many friends, and fostering her dear family ties. She belonged to PEO International and the Riviera Club of Mission Viejo. She loved reading, discussing books, gardening, and traveling (to Asia, Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, and throughout North America). She filled her home with music from the radio and her collection of LPs and CDs. When her sons were young, Rita also served as a Cub Scout den leader and as a Little League team mother.

Rita is survived by three sons, John W. Quist, Jr., Timothy Alan Quist, and David Lee Quist; a stepdaughter, Pamela Ann Riffle Arndt, and a stepson, Robert Nelson Riffle; two sisters, Cathleen Rose Kaufman and Christine Anne Kaufman McPhie; a brother, Richard Dean Kaufman; seven grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren, and four step-great-grandchildren.

We will be holding a memorial service for Rita at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, on January 16, 2026 at 11:30 am. There, her ashes will be interred along those of her late husband, Robert Brown Riffle.

Rita's family extends sincere thanks to Precious Homes of Mission Viejo for their excellent care, particularly administrator Grace Radford, Rita's primary caregivers Nelvin and Chris, along with the supportive staff of Vince, Gil, Ramon, and Gilbert.