Obituary: Rita Lee Joel

Rita Lee Joel died peacefully at age 87 of natural causes at her home at Lenbrook in Atlanta Jan. 23, 2019. She was born June 15, 1931, in Atlanta to Samuel and Ida Lincoln. She had a brother, Jack Lincoln who is also deceased. She attended Girls High in Atlanta, University of Alabama her freshman year of college and then the University of Georgia. She was sweetheart of the AEPi fraternity at UGA and was admired for her striking beauty throughout her life. At UGA, she met the love of her life, Robert Joel, who she was married to for almost 60 years.

She is survived by three sons and a daughter-in-law: David and Brad of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Ken and Jennifer Joel of Johns Creek. She has eight grandchildren: Devan, Sydney, Emily and Garrett Joel from Atlanta; Hannah Larin of Bowling Green; Harrison Smith of Atlanta; and Shaina and Jared Joel of Mission Viejo, Calif.; and great-granddaughter, Charlotte.

She is also survived by three nieces, Sheryl Knight of Washington, D.C.; Linda Diamond of Marietta; and Barbara Lincoln Rosenshein of Brookhaven. She was a successful travel agent with “Your Travel Agent Sam Massell” and First World Travel for many years, and greatly enjoyed world travel.

For many years she taught special needs children how to read for the Atlanta school system and taught the blind to swim at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center. She was an energetic, very social, loving individual and will be greatly missed by friends and family. Her funeral service was held Jan. 27 at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999.

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