Rita Kiernan

Rita Hedwig Muhr Kiernan, 82, passed away peacefully at home in New Windsor, MD on March 4, 2025. She was born in Baltimore on October 21, 1942 to George Herbert and Margaret Muhr nee Schmidtchen. She attended Baltimore schools and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1964. She taught instrumental music in the Baltimore County school system, primarily at Catonsville Junior High. She pursued graduate studies and completed all class requirements for a Master’s degree. She was working on her thesis requirements when life took her in a new direction.
In 1970, she married Sherwood C. Kiernan. Their first home was in Laurel. She continued to teach until 1974 when they moved to Howard County. She then retired from teaching and took on a new job as full-time mother to a family that eventually reached a head count of three boys and one daughter. They include Michael Stephen Kiernan of Fort Myers, Florida; Robert Matthew Kiernan of Catonsville; Gregory Patrick Kiernan of Frederick; and Sheryl Lynne Kiernan Elliott of Mount Airy.
After a decade and a half, Rita and Sherwood moved to the Phoenixville, PA area for 12 years, and then moved back to Howard County for another 15 years. She resided in Carroll County the last dozen years of her life.
While living in Maryland and in Pennsylvania, Rita remained involved with music by serving as choir director for Calvary Lutheran Church in Woodbine, MD; Zion Lutheran Church in Phoenixville, PA; and Centennial Lutheran Church in Kimberton, PA. She also gave clarinet lessons and played clarinet as a member of the Chester County Concert Band in Pennsylvania. Her efforts contributed to the musical enrichment of her home communities, and she enjoyed doing this.
Rita also enjoyed growing decorative plants inside and outside the home. She made dried floral arrangements for bazaars and other fundraisers and regularly tended to the home flower beds, keeping everything beautiful. She also loved the birds that visited the backyard and feeding stations that she filled regularly. She never met a berm or bird she didn’t love.
After the last of her children finished schooling and left the nest, she turned to a more retired lifestyle. She and her husband enjoyed taking trips to various locations ranging from Canada down to South Carolina. Visits with friends and family dinners were also events she enjoyed.
She spent her final years at home after experiencing a stroke and other health issues. She rarely communicated verbally in that final period, but her facial expressions told you everything you needed to know. She had a smile that brightened the room, and it was frequently seen when food, treats, jokes, and friendly faces were presented to her. Her family, friends, and caregivers all loved to be blessed with that beautiful smile she used as a sign of thanks and love.
In passing, Rita leaves behind her husband of nearly 55 years, Sherwood C. Kiernan of New Windsor. She also leaves behind four children, their spouses, and two grandchildren: Michael and Cynthia Kiernan of Fort Myers, FL; Robert and Lisa Kiernan of Catonsville; Gregory Kiernan and Krista Vega of Frederick; Sheryl and Michael Elliott of Mount Airy, and their sons Porter and Jameson.
Rita also leaves behind her brother, G. Herbert Muhr Jr. of Catonsville; nephew Herbert Muhr and family of Catonsville; and niece Susan Muhr Leister and family of Ijamsville.
A celebration is being planned to honor Rita’s beautiful life and legacy. Those desiring may make contributions to BridgingLife (Carroll Hospice) (https://www.lifebridgehealth.org/giving/bridginglife) and the American Stroke Association (https://www.stroke.org).