Roita Marie (Eaken) Pettinger, 75, of North Vernon, passed away at 5:03 a.m. on Sunday, April 9, 2023, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis after a long illness.

A funeral mass will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 14, 2023, at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Rev. Jerry Byrd will officiate. Burial will be in the Vernon Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 on Thursday, April 13, 2023, with the recitation of the Rosary starting at 4:30 p.m. and the Psi Iota XI service at 5:00 p.m. at Sawyer-Pickett Funeral and Cremation Service.

Born on July 8, 1947, in Seymour, she was the loving daughter of Orval Roy and Rita (Horstman) Eaken. She was united in marriage to Robert Pettinger on February 14, 1970. He survives.

Roita was a woman of family, faith, and all the activities of motherhood. She was enormously proud of her children and grandchildren. She was an artist and loved nature. She enjoyed traveling. Germany and Switzerland were always a treat. Traveling in the states was extensive from North to South, and East to West. Roita started working while in high school at the Dairy Queen. After graduating from high school in 1965, she went to work at The Just Rite. She graduated Huffer Beauty School in 1969 and practiced as a beautician for years. Later in life she was a director at the senior center in North Vernon, and she also was a clerk at the Jennings County Hospital. She retired in 2014. She enjoyed being an officer and patron of the Psi Oates, instigator of St. Mary's festival and a volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul.

In addition to her husband Robert Pettinger of North Vernon, Roita is survived by daughter, Annette (Aaron) Jobe of Columbus; son, Craig (Rebecca) Pettinger of North Vernon; grandchildren, Luke and Kylie Pettinger, and Alex (Erin) Jobe; great grandchild, Fallon Jobe; brothers, Anthony (Eleanor) Eaken of North Vernon, and William (Midge) Eaken of Sedrro Wooley, Washington; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Orval Roy and Rita Eaken.

Memorials can be made through to funeral home to St. Mary's Catholic Church or St. Mary's Catholic school.