'Our loving mum Rita': Family of woman found dead in suspected north Shropshire murder pay tribute
Tributes have been paid to a loving mother and dedicated volunteer whose death prompted a murder investigation.
West Mercia Police officers were called to an address in Woodlands Grove in Prees Higher Heath, near Whitchurch, at around 3pm on Tuesday, January 27.
Eighty-four-year-old Rita Rowley was discovered unresponsive at the property and sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
An 80-year-old man was found at the same address with life-threatening injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and has remained in hospital in a critical condition.
Now Rita’s children have paid tribute to their mum, remembering a woman known for her independence, generosity and deep sense of community.
“We would like to pay tribute to our loving mum Rita, she with our late father Colin raised us to be caring and kind," their tribute said.
Rita met and married Colin in Malta while he was serving in the RAF. After they married, she made the brave decision to move countries, leaving her family back home in Malta.
“Mum worked hard as a seamstress and had a great love of fashion; she was always a smartly dressed woman," her children wrote.
“Mum and dad had a great love of travel and loved to meet new people; even after our father's death, mum continued to travel solo or with friends both in this country and abroad, especially to her beloved Malta.
“She loved music and dancing and had a special love for Elvis Presley and Johnny Mattis. She would always have music on in her home.
“Mum loved gardens and flowers. She was an exceptional plants woman, and very successful with propagating from cuttings and seeds and would happily share these with others.
“She had a love for all animals; she would always feed the stray cats, and they would wait for her to do so.
"Mum also loved garden birds, the number of bird cages in her garden is a testament to that. She would feed them several times a day with her favourite robin dropping in to the back door and waiting to be fed."
Her family said that Rita’s Catholic faith and warm personality fostered a "great sense of community".
They added: "She loved to help people and volunteered for over 20 years at the Age UK daycare centre in Whitchurch.
"Mum also volunteered time to drive people to appointments, she would take them shopping or do it for them and help them with their household tasks.
"She always worked hard throughout her life; she was always there for us and encouraged and supported us to do well.
“We will greatly miss her, even though her Alzheimer’s was affecting her confidence and sociability she was still bright and engaging."
