Rita was a devoted, loving and amazing mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, companion, caregiver, and domestic engineer. These are a few of the many hats this vibrant, strong, independent, sassy, fun loving woman wore.
Mom was one of thirteen children and was predeceased by her parents Louisa and Lombardo and her siblings, Theresa, Mary, Patricia, Lena, Rose, Annie, Tony, Frank, Joe, Tom, and Alfred and is survived by her sister, Betty. Rita was mother to Tamra Pileggi (Tim) and Gail Bricker (Howard), Nannie to Lauren Lyszkowski (Mike), Joseph Goldschmidt, III (Arianna Billiris), Charlie, Rachel and deceased baby Sarah Bricker, Great grandmother to Chase Joseph (Lauren and Mike). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, her best friend Elaine Martin and too many to mention friends and acquaintances, who she fostered and befriended through her long and satisfying life.
She was friend to all, confidant, and master in the kitchen, who loved to teach and share her recipes. Rita was a soldier this past year and fought a fight like no other. She took her illness in stride and was a model patient. She accepted her prognosis and destiny and was commonly heard saying “It is what it is”. Friends and relatives are invited to her Memorial Celebration of Life luncheon on Saturday April 27, 2019 at 1pm. Interment at the cemetery will be private as she requested.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent in her memory to her favorite charity: Aid for Friends at 12271 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. 215-464-2224, Aidforfriends.org.
