Katherine Rittenberg Samuels

Katherine Rittenberg Samuels, December 27, 1931 – July 2, 2022

Katherine “Kit” Samuels died after a brief illness in St. Louis, Missouri. She was 90.  Kit was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Leon Hirsch Rittenberg and Katherine Polack Rittenberg. Kit grew up in New Orleans and started going to bars, as she liked to put it, as soon as she was old enough to reach the counter and pay her tab. Kit attended and graduated from Metairie Park Country Day School, and she attended Vassar College and Goucher College.

Kit married Edward “Buddy” Samuels after their third date in October, 1953, and they were happily married for 62 years until his death in June, 2016.  Kit was a successful businessperson, and she started her career importing gumbo from fine restaurants in New Orleans. She then became a stockbroker, working for I. M. Simon and then for Stix and Company in St. Louis.  Later in her career, she co-founded Going Places Travel, which she ran from 1974 to 1988 before selling the company.

Kit had a love for golf, bridge, friends, family, travel, New Orleans, and Tanqueray, and a dislike for rules, regulations, and anyone who told her she couldn’t because she was a woman. She was known to give the pinky to people who deserved, but weren’t worthy of, the middle finger. She split her time between St. Louis and Naples, Florida.

Mrs. Samuels is survived by four children: Ted (Lori) Samuels of St. Louis, Sallie Samuels of Atlanta, Kris Samuels (Jim) Holmes of St. Louis, Peggy Samuels of Union City, New Jersey, and eight grandchildren.

Services in honor of Kit will be held on Wednesday, July 6 at 10 a.m. at New Mt. Sinai Cemetery in St. Louis. There will be a reception following the service at Westwood Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kit’s honor to The Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63110; Metairie Park Country Day School in New Orleans, C/O Lori Gordillo, Director of Development, 300 Park Road, Metairie, LA 70005; or to the John Burroughs School, Office of Advancement, 755 South Price Road, St. Louis, MO, 63124.

A RINDSKOPF-ROTH SERVICE