Shrewsbury – Margaret Rita (Collins) Cullen, 86, a lifelong resident of Shrewsbury, died Sept. 10, 2018 unexpectedly at home. She was the wife of the late Charles E. Cullen Jr., who died in 1991.
Born in Worcester and raised in Shrewsbury, she was the daughter of the late William L. and Rose F. (Garello) Collins. She was a graduate of the former Ascension High School in Worcester and later attended St. Joseph’s College in Connecticut.
Rita was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Church in Shrewsbury. She loved gardening, sewing and following current events, including the stock market. She enjoyed spending time with her family and was cherished for her wit, laughter and good humor.
She is survived by four daughters, Stephanie Abisla and her husband Russell of Milford, Brenda Cullen of Westport, Natalie Cullen Nordin and her husband Eric of Dayton, Ohio, and Veronica “Roni” Mulcahy and her husband Mark of Shrewsbury. She is also survived by six6 grandchildren, Angela, Matthew and Luke Mulcahy, and Rachel, Sarah and Hannah Nordin, and many cherished nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends will celebrate Rita’s life Monday, Sept. 17, from 4-7 p.m., at the Chiampa Funeral Home ~ The Sumner House, 5 Church Road, On the Common, Shrewsbury. The funeral Mass for Rita will be Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 9:30 a.m., at St. Mary’s Church, 640 Main St., Shrewsbury. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery of Shrewsbury.
