Rita Hoy Todd

Not everyone has two birth certificates, but that's just one thing that made Rita Hoy Todd so unique. On February 4, 1942 in Wichita, Kansas a second child, a daughter, was born to Kenneth and Marty Hoy. She was named Rita Kay Hoy, but almost six years later her dad took it upon himself to legally change her name to Rita Ann Hoy, a name that carries spiritual meaning of Divine favor and quiet strength and has been continued as a middle name for three additional generations.

Rita grew up in Cassoday, Kansas a small but thriving ranching community in the beautiful Flint Hills. As a child and teenager Rita's days were filled with riding horses, checking pastures with her dad and older brother Jim, playing with her many Hoy cousins and school friends and enjoying the wonders of animals and nature; she loved her barn kitties and even had a pet coyote!

Rita graduated from Cassoday High School in 1961. Her desire was to attend college at OSU in Stillwater, Ok since her cousin Gary Reed was also going there. But one sentence from her father saying it was "too far from home" settled that. So Rita went instead to Manhattan, KS to Kansas State University where brother Jim was already attending. That one hour difference in drive time changed the course of her life. Jim had many college buddies and specifically told Rita that she could date any of them except Harry Todd! Well, that just caused her to like him more so they dated and eventually married a year later in Newton, Kansas on September 24, 1962. The young couple started their married life in Newton where Harry Lee, known as HL worked in the Livestock Auction and cattle business. It wasn't long until Uncle Sam came calling and off they went to Birmingham, Alabama for a brief stint in the Army for HL to be a teletype officer. HL resumed his Agricultural work in the towns of Dodge City and Oakley, Kansas and eventually Bakersfield, California where their first daughter Kelly Leigh was born in 1963. With a new baby and the shocking news of the assassination of President JF Kennedy, California seemed too far from home for the Kansas couple, so HL took a work opportunity with Equitable Agri Business that landed them in Burlington, Colorado a mere twelve miles from the Kansas state line. In Burlington their second daughter Kimberly Ann was born to complete their family of four. HL and Rita spent twenty wonderful years in Burlington. Rita was always skilled with numbers and enjoyed bookkeeping so it was a natural fit when she became the office manager of Producers Livestock Auction, where she built relationships with people who became lifelong friends. When the girls were in middle school HL built a feedlot south of town called Cattle Care Inc. and Rita became full time mom and rodeo chauffeur. She honed her skills of driving a four door Chevy dually truck pulling one of the first four horse living quarters trailers all over Colorado and surrounding states to High School and Little Britches Rodeos for Kelly and Kim to compete. Not ever willing to back down from a challenge, she skillfully drove that rodeo rig over Wolf Creek Pass several times!! When both girls went south for college, HL and Rita moved once again to Olathe, Kansas where HL worked in the Kansas City office of Equitable Agri Business. After Rita got their belongings unpacked and their new house set up she felt the pull to get back to work and meet some new people. A bookkeeping job listed in the local newspaper turned out to be a Godwink for her. She got the job at Haynes Equipment Company, which required that she, now in her mid forties, learn how to operate a computer along with several accounting applications. After several years of service, her work ethic, intelligence and natural leadership skills she became a part owner of the company. After five years in the KC office of Equitable Agri Business HL was told the office was closing and he had a choice between the offices in St. Louise, MO or Oklahoma City, OK. They chose OKC because as it turned out Haynes Equipment Co also had an office in the OKC area. So another move was in the works and off they went to Mustang, OK where they built a beautiful home complete with a horse barn, bunkhouse and roping arena in a new subdivision called Thoroughbred Acres. Their home was a place where rodeo friends always knew they could find a clean horse stall, a warm bed and a good meal. Their family, which now including five grandchildren, would make many beloved memories there. Nana, as she was called by her grandkids loved summer and was known to put on her bathing suit and visor to drag the garden hose around so she could water her trees while the grandkids swam in the swimming pool nearby in the back yard. The grandkids have fond memories of summers spent going to work with her at Haynes where she would set them up in an empty office complete with office supplies and let them make copies for other employees. This made them feel so important and grown up. More fun memories were made attending basketball camp at Oklahoma Christian College, trips to Braums for ice cream and back to school shopping complete with name brand tennis shoes! Nana Rita loved her grandchildren very much and took the time to know them individually as she did with many people, always looking for a way to quietly fill a need. Rita truly loved her Haynes family. She enjoyed planning and attending the many fun lake trips and Remington Park. Mom's years working at Haynes were her career highlights, it held a very special place in her heart; so much so that when they sold the Thoroughbred Acres place for a ranch in Amber, OK she was willing to drive an hour and a half each way to work five days a week. The ranch was a new challenge and adventure for HL but it eventually became too much to manage. HL continued his Todd Cattle Co order buying business at OKC West and the Historic OK City Stockyards while Rita enjoyed her much closer commute to work from their new home in Yukon, OK; until the fatal day in 2013 when HL had a stroke and life as they knew it changed forever. After one month in rehab HL and Rita packed up and moved to Johnson City, Texas where Kim's family lived in order to have help with HL's recovery. Fun family times were had with Christmas gatherings and Super Bowl parties as Rita was always up for a fun time. Even though life was good in Texas, Rita missed her Oklahoma life and working at Haynes. She started to experience some changes in her health, but doctors just said it was stress from caregiving. She looked forward to and appreciated all of the visits from family and Oklahoma friends who came to see them "all the way down in Texas." HL passed away in August of 2021 and soon after Rita moved into Arbor House, an independent living cottage community in Marble Falls. Her health was in constant decline no matter how much grit and determination she exhibited to "get better!" But God's hand was also on this season of her life, because she shared with her care-workers the many life lessons and wisdom she had acquired over the years. They all commented on how Rita impacted their lives through her quiet example of intelligence, determination, strong will and love. Rita was blessed with nine great grandchildren that she enjoyed making goodie bags for when they would visit. Rita was not your typical grandma or old lady...she was a class act, stylishly dressed and always complete with accessories. However her best accessory was her Big smile.

Rita passed away Sept 5, 2025 at the age of 83 after twelve days on Hospice comfort care and is now in the presence of her Lord and Savior. Her ashes are to be spread in the pasture between her childhood home and the community cemetery in her beloved Flint Hills of Cassoday...she is Home at Last!

Rita was preceded in death by her husband Harry Lee Todd, parents Kenneth Lee Hoy and Zola Marteil Rice Hoy, brother James (Jim) Franklin Hoy, sister in law Cathy Thompson Hoy, nephew Joshua (Josh) Thompson Hoy, in-laws John Godwin Todd and Bernice Alice McKee Todd, nephew Jay Alan Todd and nephews by marriage Gary Buchanan and Gary Moore.

She is survived by her daughters Kelly Todd Dykes and husband Mark, and Kimberly Todd Hodge, former son in law Jimmy Hodge, grand daughters Sierra Hodge Emerson and husband Cody, Sheridan Hodge Elliott and husband Wade, Madison Dykes Phillips and husband Marcus and Karson Tucker Dykes. Grandson Grayson Todd Dykes and wife Chloe. Great grandchildren Ryleigh Ann Phillips, Reagan Beth Phillips, Asa Jhett Elliott, Asher Joi Elliott, Mesa Mae Dykes, Kanyon Rose Dykes and Leddy Lee Dykes...all of whom loved her very much and will miss her greatly.

The family extends an invitation to all of Rita's friends to join them at her Memorial & Celebration of Life to be held November 22, 2025 at 2 pm in the Boardroom at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum located at 1700 NE 63rd Street Oklahoma City, OK. 73111. Please come early and enjoy the museum tour as free admission is a courtesy for all of Rita's guests that day. Donations in her memory can also be made to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, a place that she loved, toured and supported herself.