Shrewsbury – Rita B. (Chesna) Mawdsley, a longtime Shrewsbury resident, passed away peacefully Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, with the family she loved gathered by her side. She was 80.
Rita was one of five children of Lithuanian immigrants Joseph and Josephine (Zinkievich) Chesna. She grew up in Worcester, where she attended Worcester Public Schools.
In 1952, Rita married Thomas R. Mawdsley and together they settled in a house on the north end of Lake Quinsigamond, where they raised their family for the next 40 years before Tom passed away in 1992. Rita continued to live in the house before moving to the Shrewsbury Towers on North Quinsigamond.
She worked for the G.E. Telecron Company in Worcester and Ashland for over 30 years before retiring.
Rita is survived by her beloved children, Cindy LeBlanc and her husband Paul of Boylston, Mary Dion with whom she lived, Thomas R. Mawdsley Jr. of Worcester, and Joanne Hensas of Shrewsbury; a sister, Phyllis Dubois of Grafton; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. A granddaughter, Samantha Mawdsley, and three brothers, Anthony, Louis, and John Chesna, all predeceased her.
Rita was devoted and faithful to her religious beliefs. She was a member of St. Anne's Church in Shrewsbury and a former member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Worcester. She enjoyed playing cards, taking care of her grandchildren, living on the lake, and spending time with her family. Having them all together with her is what made her the happiest.
Friends and relatives are invited to visit with the family Sunday, March 2, from 3 – 6 p.m., in the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel, 370 Plantation St., Worcester. Her funeral will be held Monday, March 3, from the funeral home with a Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Anne's Church, 130 Boston Turnpike Rd., Shrewsbury. A burial next to Tom will follow in Mountain View Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Heaalthcare Hospice, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609.
