Rita Peoples

Rita Annette (Fullmore) Peoples was born in Akron, Ohio, on September 13, 1940, to the union of Carlton D. and Beatrice (Fullmore) Evans. Rita was educated in the Akron Public School Systems and was a proud graduate of East High School, class of 1958. Rita and her brother, Anthony ‘Tony’, often spoke of going to the local movie theatre to watch westerns, attending high school dances and going to the Akron Rollercade to skate. Rita was an awesome skater and enjoyed skating into adulthood.

Rita enjoyed life and was the life of any party. She loved dancing and was known as a great hand-dancer and line dancer, earning her the nickname “Jazzy Rita P” by close friends. Rita worked as a cashier back in the day – first at Peoples Drug Store at Wooster Hawkins Plaza and then at Gray Drug Store at Summit Mall. In the early 1980’s, she won a Gray Drug Store employee contest for a trip to the Bahamas. She talked about how proud she was to have won that recognition as she was the only African American employee to do so. Rita was known as a hard working, independent, strong-willed woman who lived life on her own terms. She wasn’t afraid to tell you what she thought about something. She’d let you know by starting the conversation off with “my point being . . . “ She retired from Gray Drug in the early 1990’s and enjoyed visiting with friends, working in her yard, bargain hunting at her favorite discount stores – Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Marc’s and Save-A-lot, watching westerns and attending family functions.

She loved family reunions and worked in the past with family members of the Washington-Brown families to coordinate reunions. She had a great sense of humor which added much laughter to family gatherings. Her Grands and Great Grands share with love the stories of the many funny things she would do or say at a family gathering. She was baptized at Second Baptist Church in her youth, but later joined the Shiloh Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Reverend Luther C. Cooper. She remained a member until her health prohibited her from attending. She was a former member of the Senior Usher Board and helped to coordinate a number of Ushers ‘& Nurses’ Anniversary Concerts featuring local talent and the Christian All-Stars.

Rita kept her feisty spirit until the very end. On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, she quietly transitioned to her heavenly reward.

She is predeceased by her parents, brother Anthony Wayne Fullmore, half-brother Nuru Raheem and Jingles her walking buddy and fur baby.

She leaves to cherish her memories daughter, Carla (John) Dyer; her beloved son, Terry Lane, with whom she lived until her passing; granddaughters, Charece (Nate) Harris of Cincinnati, Shayla Dyer of Akron and great grandchildren, Brianna Ellerson-Dyer, Devan, Lillie, Ethan, Aaron, Emanuel “Manny”, Gabriel and Miracle Harris all of Cincinnati. Also, she leaves special cousins Cheri Oliver, Michelle (Curtis) Butts, Johnnie (Butch) Boyer, Lorraine (Brown) Hopson (California) and dear friends Will Arnold, Josephine Scott, Ollie Brown, Sandra Turner (California) and Betty Morrisette and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12:00 noon until 1:00 pm at Sommerville Funeral Services, 1695 Diagonal Rd. Akron, Oh 44320.