Clarita Keets Rivers, February 18, 1929 — March 15, 2019

Clarita’s Obituary Clarita Mai “Keets” Rivers, née Ross, passed away on March 15, 2019 at the age of 90. She was born in Maryland in 1929 to college professors Cecil and Minola Ross, Keets grew up in Washington, D.C. and Coral Gables, Florida. In 1946 she married Ernest Emmanuel Rivers, a Navy pilot, and together they traveled the world, living in such places as Panama, Whidbey Island (WA), Oxford (MS), Monterey (CA), and Guam, before finally returning to Ernie’s hometown of Pensacola, Florida.

Throughout her life, Keets engaged with the fine arts. As a young woman, she was a music major in vocal performance and had numerous recitals and radio appearances. After her children were grown, she delved into the world of visual art, becoming a highly accomplished painter and sculptor.

In 1973, she was among the founding members of Pensacola Artists, Inc., a group that subsequently established the Quayside Art Gallery in downtown Pensacola. Original paintings and prints by Keets, many featuring her signature seascapes, can still be found in homes all around the Gulf Coast. Keets is survived by Ernie, her devoted husband of 72+ years; her children, Pamela Rivers Thompson (husband Clark), Rebecca Rivers Burnett (husband Douglas) and Ernest Lyle Rivers (wife Robin); her grandsons, Jason Parks and Jonathan Thompson and her great-grandchildren Michael Parks, Katherine Parks and Emily Parks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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