A Mass of Christian Burial for Rita Gail Gordon will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Oakdale, La., with Father Vijaya Peddoju officiating. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery under the direction of Allen Parish Funeral Home.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 26, 2025, at Allen Parish Funeral Home in Oakdale, La.

Rita is preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Mary Gordon. She was raised in Oakdale, Louisiana, with her five siblings and large extended family. She attended Oakdale High School, where she made lifelong friends, and developed a passion for performing and twirling. After high school, Rita forged her own educational path by studying around the world in California at the Gemological Institute of America, Switzerland for watchmaking, and New York City for Jewelry Business Management coursework at NYU. Her goal was to always return home and share her gifts and knowledge with others.

She was the proud owner of Gordon's Jewelry of Oakdale, a business started by her mother, whose reputation was well known not only for exquisite jewelry, but also for exceptional customer service and the most beautiful, spirited soul helping her customers. To Rita, her store was a testament of the love she had for her community and the commitment she had to bring beauty to the world.

She embraced life through a creative lens and was known to find unique outlets for expression. She received her private pilot's license, developed a baton twirling performance group called the Gordonettes, and celebrated her Syrian-Lebanese culture by preparing traditional dishes, especially kibbeh and grape leaf rolls.

Rita was also an active parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oakdale. She served various roles in her church parish including Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Faith Formation teacher. Her love of the Lord was infectious, and her smile shared Christ's love to all she met.

Her greatest achievements, however, were her two children, Mary Helen Downey and Adam Gordon. Rita proudly embraced her role as a mother and was her children's biggest fan. She instilled in them foundational values of faith, love, passion, and community. Her children are the living embodiment of these precious gifts.

Rita was a beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend. Her radiant presence and genuine warmth drew people in—to her, there were no strangers, only friends she hadn't yet met.

Those left to cherish her memory are her two children: Mary Helen Downey (Ronnie) and Adam Gordon (Alison); her five grandchildren: Joseph Downey (10), James Downey (8), Leo Gordon (5), John Patrick Gordon (3), and Allie Gordon (1); her five siblings: Dr. Jerry Ann Gordon, Dr. Mike Gordon, Helen Gordon Doxey, Sarah Romine, and Mary Jo Gordon; her three nieces and one nephew: Sadie Nesom (Wyatt), Bailey Doxey, Chrissy Dollar (Jon), and Michael Romine, and countless extended family and friends.

Pallbearers honored to serve are Adam Gordon, Ronnie Downey, Wyatt Nesom, Pat Sewell, Tommy Johnson, and Levi Rodriguez.

Her family expresses sincere gratitude to her many caregivers, especially the teams at Brighton Bridge Hospice and Allen Oaks Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center.

Charitable donations can be made to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church,1208 East 7th Avenue, Oakdale, La. 71463.

Words of comfort may be sent to her family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com or Facebook-Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.