Rita Christine Sweeney *75

Rita died May 9, 2021, in Madison, Wis., after a long illness.

She was born Sept. 27, 1951, in New London, Conn., and grew up in Norwich, Conn.

She was in the first class of undergraduate women admitted to Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences. She graduated summa cum laude in 1973 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She studied economics at Princeton, earning a master’s degree in 1975. While at Princeton she received a fellowship to study at the University of Stockholm’s Swedish Institute for Social Research and studied the impact of government programs on women’s participation in the labor market.

Before moving to Madison, Rita worked at the Agency for International Development and was a lecturer in economics at Fordham University. In Madison she joined Christensen Associates in 1982, continuing as a senior economist until she retired in 2018.

Rita was an active member of Luther Memorial Church, serving on their social ministry, facilities planning, and pastoral call committees.

Rita is survived by her husband, Philip Schoech; son John; and sister Paula. She was preceded in death by her son Andrew Schoech.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.