Rita B. Twist Wells

Rita Marie (Dion) Twist Wells, 86, of Richlands, NC passed away Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Greendale Forest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Greene County.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 16, at 1:00 PM at Locust Grove Cemetery, 2  Locust Grove Rd., Merrimac, MA 01860, followed by the interment of both Rita and Robert Wells. Guests are asked to wear turquoise or teal, Rita’s favorite color, in her honor. A reception will follow at the Merrimac Senior Center, 100 East Main St., Merrimac, MA.

Rita was the daughter of Alphonse E. and Bernadette Marie (Lamarre) Dion and grew up in the Sanford, Maine area. She was predeceased by her first husband of 40 years, Carroll “Bud” E. Twist; her second husband of 15 years, Robert P. Wells; her son, Robert “Bobby” P. Wells Jr.; and her daughter, Christy Wells.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Reinelt and her husband Bill of Derry, NH; four sons, Michael Twist of Spain, Mark Twist and his wife Pamela of Belgrade, ME, James Wells and his wife Kim of Jacksonville, NC, and Steve Wells and his wife Tanya of Richlands, NC. She also leaves behind ten grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and Sweetpea, her faithful kitty.

Bud and Rita moved from Maine to Merrimac, Massachusetts in the early 1960s, where Rita became an active and devoted member of Church of the Nativity, Pilgrim Congregational Church, and Merrimacport Methodist Church. She was well known for making her famous bourbon balls for church fairs, with her biggest fans being the Catholic priest and the Congregational minister.

Throughout her adult life, Rita held many roles, including Tupperware dealer and manager, Merrimac Police School Crossing Guard and Jail Matron, IPI math aide, and Life and Computer Skills teacher at St. Anne’s Home in Methuen, MA, Harbor Schools in Newbury, MA, and the Merrimac Senior Center.

Bob and Rita lived in Merrimac before retiring to Richlands, North Carolina, where Rita became a faithful member of Richlands Methodist Church. Even in retirement, Rita stayed happily busy with her many crafts and a craft room that was always well stocked. She even continued to stockpile arts and crafts supplies in her one-room home at Spring Arbor Assisted Living.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Rita’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Museum of the Marines, or Onslow County Animal Rescue.