Rita Kay Clulo (née Harper), aged 81, passed away on August 30th, 2024, after a brief illness. She has been a resident of Teller County, Colorado, for over 50 years. Rita was born on March 26th, 1943, to Gwen and Curtis R. Harper, in the city of Bakersfield, California. In her early years at the end of WWII, the family moved to rural Greenwood County, Kansas, where she lived for two years in a farmhouse without running water, electricity or indoor plumbing. Rita carried on a running battle with the geese, which were domesticated, except when they were chasing her. She and her brother shared an unheated upstairs bedroom where, on cold winter nights, they warmed their feet on heated bricks while tucked under a thick layer of quilts. In 1948, the family relocated to Wichita, Kansas, where Rita graduated from Wichita North High School in 1961 with honors. She was the editor of the North Star, a student newspaper with a circulation of 1600 students. She met her future husband, William Coe Clulo, in 1962. The two eloped and were married for 58 years until his death in 2021. An honors graduate of Southern Colorado State College (now CSU- Pueblo), Rita was a teacher for over two decades at Gateway and Columbine Elementary Schools in Woodland Park, Colorado. She never missed a birthday or holiday, as she lavished her family with cards and generous gifts. She adored her dogs, particularly Sophie, her beloved 13-year old Golden Retriever, and loved the highland scenery of Teller and Park Counties. Rita will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and wry sense of humor. Rita is survived by her son, William Curtis Clulo, of Divide, Colorado, and brother, Jerry L. Harper (Nancy) of Lawrence, Kansas, as well as several cousins, nieces, and nephews.