Rita Mongaras Lynard's Obituary
Rita Mongaras Lynard passed away peacefully with both daughters by her side on March 19, 2020 at 4:05 pm to go be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the age of 65. She was born in Dallas, Texas on June 12, 1954 to her loving parents Francisco G. Mongaras (Stanley) and Juanita Rodriguez Mongaras, with whom she now joins in heaven. She is dearly loved and will always be remembered by her brother, Stanley Frank Mongaras and his wife, Sharon Mongaras, and their children, Evan Michael Stanley Mongaras and Stanley Francisco Mongaras; her daughter Stephanie Marie Lynard and husband Steven Michael Bither and her daughter Jennifer Elaine Lynard and fiancé Jaron Lee Haney.
After 17 years of battling cancer, Rita’s fight peacefully ended as the Lord welcomed her through the Golden Gates of Heaven.
Rita started her career as a bank teller at Dallas Federal Savings and Loan where she worked for 12 years. She worked her way up in the company to a Teller Supervisor, and later to a Teller Trainer. She went on to work for Texas Omega Processing Systems where she was employed as a Customer Service Systems Representative. Years later, she moved on to work for EDS Credit Union as a conversion support and training specialist. Although she loved her work, she and her husband at the time, John Lynard, made the decision for her to become a stay-at-home mom for their two daughters. After her daughters graduated high school, Rita went back to work as a daycare teacher for 3 year-olds at Crème de la Crème in Plano. Later, she applied for a position at ViewPoint Bank, where she worked as a bank teller once again. She worked for many years at both the daycare and the bank. She loved children, and being a teacher at Crème de la Crème brought her great joy. After several years, working both jobs became taxing on her body, and she decided to leave the daycare and work solely at ViewPoint Bank, later bought out by Legacy Texas Bank.
Despite her illness, and up until her passing, Rita continued working full time in Allen at Legacy Texas Bank. She loved her job, her customers, and the people she worked with. She always spoke of how caring and understanding her manager and co-workers were when she needed to take time off for appointments and unexpected health issues. She had many customers who asked for her specifically because of her excellent rapport and strong work ethic. She made a lasting impression on everyone she encountered.
Rita had a strong faith as a Christian and was a member of Watermark Church. She was a part of a Bible study group that met every week. She also would attend church with her brother Stanley and his wife Sharon.
Rita’s daughters were blessed to have her as a stay-at-home mom for much of their lives. She instilled in them lifelong values such as respect, integrity, responsibility, love, dedication, and faith. One of her mottos for her daughters was “Always do your best.” She loved to be involved in helping her daughters with school, whether it be studying for tests, completing projects, writing papers, or helping them prepare and get organized for the first day of school. There was a tradition every school year for her to make a special “TAAS Test” breakfast that helped her daughters feel prepared and motivated. Rita was dedicated to her children and would do anything to ensure their happiness, well-being, and success.
Rita was a diehard Cowboys fan. If you didn’t know how big of a Cowboys fan she was, you would have no doubt after hearing her cheering and yelling for her team. She also loved the Dallas Stars, and was able to attend a game in head-to-toe Stars attire with Stephanie, Jennifer, and fiancé Jaron. Additionally, she had a love for the Dallas Mavericks and watching their games was exciting for her. She also loved to laugh. She always loved laughing at Steven, her son-in-law, whenever she would visit and he would yell her nickname “Margarita” and start dancing just to make her laugh. Rita loved spending time with family more than anything else.
Throughout her journey, Rita displayed incredible strength and courage in her fight with cancer. She moved on from this world at peace with her life, and the legacy, memories, and lessons she left with her daughters.
Due to COVID-19, there will be a small private viewing and service at Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery. The viewing will be held on Saturday March 28 from 2:00-4:00 pm. The service will be held on Sunday March 29 at 11:00 am in the Memorial Chapel. The service will be live-streamed on the Restland Funeral Home website for those who would like to watch from home. At a later time, when it is safe to do so, there will be a celebration of life that all family and friends may attend.
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