Rita V. (Layden) O'Connell, age 72, of Duxbury, formerly of West Roxbury, died on Monday, December 31, 2012, at the South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth. Rita attended Northeastern University. She was a manager of Capital Procurements at the MBTA. Rita was a founding member of the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, MA and a founding member of the Irish Cultural Center Library in Canton, MA. She was a co-chairperson of the Deer Island Irish Memorial-Boston Harbor Project. Rita was a member of the Holy Family Choir for 20 years; a host family for the Cape Cod Irish Childrens Program, which brought together children from both Catholic and Protestant traditions for an extended summer visit in the United States. She was a member of the Knights and Ladies of St. Finbarr, County Cork Club. She was a volunteer for the Mass Tiara Association regarding her expertise in Irish genealogy research. Rita was a founding member of the Randolph Ski Club, North Conway, New Hampshire. She also coordinated and ran the St. Francis House annual fund raising dance and a member of the Irish Social Club in West Roxbury. Rita was the beloved wife of Dr. William T. O'Connell; loving sister of Joseph Layden Jr. & his wife Mary Ann of Westwood; dear aunt of Caroline Layden of Westwood, Joseph Layden III & his wife Julie of Medfield, Christopher Layden & his wife Jennifer of Westwood, David Layden of Canton; dear great-aunt of Joseph IV, James, Kathryn, Hannah and Matthew; devoted sister-in-law of Mary O'Connell Manning & her husband Joseph of Cape Cod and daughter of the late Joseph T. Layden, Sr. & Lillian (Winters) Layden. Visiting hours at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main Street, (Route 106), Kingston, on Thursday, January 3, 2013, from 4:00-8:00 PM. Funeral services at the Shepherd Funeral Home, Kingston, on Friday, January 4, 2013 at 9:00 AM, followed by her funeral Mass at the Holy Family Church, 601 Tremont Street, Duxbury at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at Saint Joseph's Cemetery, 990 LaGrange Street, West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Rita V. O'Connell to the Lymphoma Research (checks payable to: Massachusetts General Hospital) and mailed to Lymphoma Research, c/o Massachusetts General Development Office, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114. For directions and online condolences, please visit www.shepherdfuneral home.com. Shepherd Funeral Home 781 585-4453