CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Anita Mae (Murphy) Zecha, 84, died Dec.10, 2021 at Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne Wyo. Anita was born May 24, 1937 to Dennis and Mary (Kelly) Murphy of Tyndall, S.D. She grew up and graduated from Tyndall High School. The family moved to California for a brief time for employment opportunities.
As a young woman, Anita worked for a local veterinarian in Tyndall. A coworker set her up on a blind date with a veterinarian from the neighboring town of Marion, S.D. -As fate would have it Anita and Bernard were married on May 9, 1961. While living in Marion, they had three daughters. The family moved many times throughout the United States due to Bernard’s job. Anita always put her family first, volunteering at the girls’ elementary schools, hosting dinner parties for her husband’s colleagues, family friends, and the girls’ teachers, not to mention the superb family dinners especially around the holidays. Anita gained her excellent cooking and baking skills while working in the Café’ her mother ran, when she was a girl. Anita was also a proficient seamstress, making clothes for her daughters as well as herself. She passed these skills on to her daughters and grandchildren along with crocheting and needlework and ceramics.
While living in northern California during the 1970’s, Anita pursued a career as a CNA at Novato General Hospital where she worked for four years until the family relocated to Denver, Colo. While living in Colorado, Anita volunteered at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church.
Once the family settled in Cheyenne, Wyo. in 1981, Anita began her volunteer work at Seton Catholic High School where she spearheaded a breakfast program. She provided breakfast for the students from 1981-1984 while her youngest daughter, Lynette, attended high school there. Anita would volunteer again at St Mary’s Elementary School in 1992 when her grandson was in preschool and again from 1997-2010 when two more of her grandchildren started school at St. Mary’s. She was a great help to many of the teachers at the school and many of the students called her grandma. Anita volunteered in many capacities throughout her lifetime, always willing to lend a hand wherever needed.
Upon her retirement, Anita maintained friendships with her neighbors, attended her grandchildren’s sports and theater events, traveled with her husband, and attended classes at the Cheyenne Family YMCA, making connections there as she did everywhere she went.
She is survived by her twin sister, Rita Holmes; her husband of 60 years, Bernard Zecha; daughter, Rhonda (Tracy) Quinn; grandsons, Nathaniel (Tenacity), Mason (Ana), Sam (Alyssa) and granddaughter, Grace; her daughter Lynette (Henry) Albano; granddaughters Miranda, Chalyn (Peter) Rich, great-grandson Ben and great-granddaughter Olivia, and grandson Garrett (Kayla) Albano. Anita was preceded in death by her parents; five sisters; one brother; daughter, Tammy; and grandson, Taylor Quinn.
As stated by a couple of teachers, “Anita was a classy lady and will be greatly missed”.
Donations may be made to Davis Hospice and/or Cheyenne Family YMCA.
Vigil for the deceased will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. at Lakeview Chapel at Schrader Aragon & Jacoby Funeral Home. Funeral Liturgy will be held on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 at 11 a.m. at St Mary’s Cathedral. Interment will take place at Mountain View Memorial Park.
Condolences may be offered to the family atwww.schradercares.com
Funeral arrangements provided by
Schrader, Aragon & Jacoby Funeral Home
2222 Russell Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Dec. 15, 2021
