Rita Sanford Holch, age 97, died in North Branford, CT on March 6, 2014 after a brief illness. Born January 22, 1917 in New York City, to Dr. Charles and Antonia Sanford, she attended Chevy Chase Jr. College, Phoenix Art School and graduated from the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts, now known as Parsons, attending their Atelier in Paris. After school she was employed as a fashion designer by Lord and Taylor during the period when Dorothy Shaver was promoting the American Designers. Later she studied stone sculpture under Jean West, pupil of Jose de Creeft and Norma Flanagan of New York City. Her sculptures are in private collections both in Europe and the US. Throughout her life she was also an accomplished knitter, needle pointer, taught crewel and knit hundreds of hats for newborns at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital. She married Carl Eiler Holch on December 22, 1945 and lived in Andover, Mass., Greenwich and Madison, CT and spent summers in "Middle Bear" on Nantucket Island. She was a member of the Artist's Association of Nantucket, Nantucket Garden Club, Nantucket Yacht Club, Madison Art Society, Madison Garden Club, The Winter Club and Guilford Art Society and a charter member of Norwalk Curling Club. Rita (Danny to her grandchildren and great grandchildren) will be especially remembered for irreverent sense of humor, artistic eye, unwavering love and devotion to her family. Survivors include Linda Holch Gordon and her husband, Clyde of Burlington, NC and Eric Sanford Holch and his wife, Betsy of Nantucket, MA, as well as four grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Rita was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Holch, her brother Charles Sanford and grandson Eric Gordon.

A Memorial Services will be held this summer in Nantucket, MA. Swan Funeral Home of Madison, has charge of arrangements. For online tributes and condolences, please visit www.swanfuneralhomemadison.com. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, 57 Prospect St., Nantucket, Ma. 02554 or Nantucket Conservation Foundation, P.O.Box 13, Nantucket, Ma 02554. We would like to thank all the staff, doctors and nurses at Evergreen Woods in North Branford, CT for their help, support and care, and Father Robert Turner of St. Augustine Church for spiritual support.