Rita Pokoo Aikins was a woman who never seemed to sit still. A businesswoman, nurse, realtor, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, she lived her life with energy, generosity, fierce loyalty, and a personality that was entirely her own. To her family, she was much more than any title could capture. She was their rock, the foundation upon which their family was built.

Born in Ghana in 1950, Rita grew up in Cape Coast and Accra as one of seven children. Ghana remained an important part of who she was throughout her life, and she carried tremendous pride in her heritage. In 1990, she made the courageous decision to leave her family and her home in Ghana and begin a new chapter in America. She built a life through determination, hard work, and an unmistakable entrepreneurial spirit.

Rita was a businesswoman through and through. In Ghana, she owned and operated her own store. After moving to California, she began a career in nursing, caring for others with the same dedication and compassion that she brought to every part of her life. After working as a nurse, she became a realtor and spent the last couple of decades working in real estate in Corona, California. She was never one to sit still for long, and there always seemed to be another business idea, project, or side hustle waiting around the corner. She was independent, driven, and resourceful, and she brought that same determination to caring for the people she loved.

Providing for others was more than something Rita did. It was how she expressed love.

If Rita thought someone wasn’t eating enough, food was coming. If she was visiting, she brought something. If she thought someone needed anything, she would find it and make sure they had it. Cooking and entertaining brought her tremendous joy, and she loved having people around her. Her home was a place where people were welcomed, fed, entertained, and cared for.

Her generosity extended far beyond her immediate family. Rita had dear friends around the world, and she was remarkably intentional about keeping in touch with them. She called, she checked in, and she remembered the details. She knew about their children and grandchildren and genuinely cared about what was happening in their lives. She had an amazing ability to make people feel loved and remembered.

And Rita was unforgettable.

She was unpredictable, sometimes a little bit of a loose cannon, and never afraid to say exactly what was on her mind. She delivered her most controversial opinions with an entirely straight face. She could laugh at things that no one else found funny, and her laugh was one of the sounds her family will miss most.

Rita also had a special relationship with QVC and Costco. She was, by all accounts, one of their most loyal customers. If she found clothes at Costco that she thought her family needed, there was little chance she was leaving the store without them. She loved being well dressed herself and was always beautifully put together.

But nothing brought Rita more happiness than her family.

Her heart belonged above all to her family, especially her children, Abeku and Modu, and her beloved grandsons, Gavin and Mason. Rita doted on her boys, surprising them with gifts she was certain they needed and delighting in every milestone as they grew. Seeing Gavin graduate from university and Mason finish high school were moments of absolute joy for a grandmother who truly believed her family could achieve anything.

Rita expressed that same deep love in the way she cared for everyone around her, often through her cooking. When Grandma Rita visited, everyone knew a feast of traditional Ghanaian favorites was on the way. Food and love were inseparable for Rita, whether she was cooking at home or traveling to Arizona to share tamales with her family for Christmas.

Underpinning her unwavering loyalty and generosity was a profound Catholic faith. Her belief was a steady anchor throughout her journey from Ghana to America, guiding her as she remained the reliable, steadfast rock of her family: the one who always remembered, always stayed connected, and always cared.

Rita will be remembered for her generosity, her fierce loyalty, her entrepreneurial spirit, her pride in Ghana, her faith, her impeccable style, her unpredictable sense of humor, and her enormous capacity to care for others.

Her family will miss her laugh. They will miss her phone calls, her gifts, her cooking, her shopping finds, her opinions, and the unmistakable energy she brought into every room.

Most of all, they will miss the woman who was the foundation upon which their family was built.

Rita did not always need to say, “I love you.” She showed it in the food she prepared, the gifts she brought, the calls she made, the people she remembered, and the way she showed up whenever someone she loved needed her.

That was Rita’s way of loving.

And that love will remain with her family always.

Rita’s service will be held in Sekondi, Ghana. She will be laid to rest next to her loving mother and siblings who have preceded her in death.