BIDDEFORD — Rita Hamel, 91, of Biddeford died April 30, 2019 at Seal Rock Healthcare.

She was born June 1, 1927 daughter of Ernest and Bertha Huot Laflamme.  Rita attended parochial school and graduated from St. Andre High School in 1947.  She married Armand Hamel in 1950 at the former St. Andre’s Church.

She was employed at Mahaney’s Plumbing and Heating for a few years, and then was a bookkeeper for her husband who managed the Shell Station at Five Points for 22 years.  In 1981, she volunteered at St. Andre’s school lunch for the next 15 years.  She also volunteered at Notre Dame School in Saco for another 15 years.

She was predeceased by her husband, Armand of 63 years; her brother, Normand Laflamme, and son in law, David Carmody.

She is survived by her daughters, Joanne Carmody, Patricia Grecco and her husband Steve, Diane Arbour, and Elaine D’Alessandro and by her five grandchildren, Julia Carmody, Emily Ford and her husband Chris, Matthew Dubois, Dominic and Luke D’Alessandro and one great grandson, CJ Ford.  Four sisters:  Lucille Johnson, Doris Petit and her husband Ralph, Aline Jacques, Annette Cyr and her husband Noel and several nieces and nephews.

Visiting Hours will be 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005.  A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday May 6, 2019 at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford.  Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford.

Those wishing to make donations in Rita’s memory may contribute to:  Boys Town National Headquarters, P.O. Box 6000, 200 Flannigan Blvd, City of Boystown, NE  68010 or to the American Lung Association of Maine, 122 State Street, Augusta, ME  04330.

Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel.

To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com.