Service Details
Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 4, 2021. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m.at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, 1919 54th St. Interment will follow in St. George Cemetery. A visitation for Rita will take place on Thursday, June 3rd from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home.
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In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances would be appreciated by the family.
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Rita E. Marchesini, age 92, passed away on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at Duke Hospital, Durham, NC. Rita was born in Kenosha on May 27, 1928, a daughter of the late Pasquale and Carmela (nee: Greco) Vite. On May 13, 1950, at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Church, she was united in marriage to John Marchesini. Sadly, he preceded her in death on April 15, 1985.
For many years Rita served as the “lunch lady” at Grant School and then Mt. Carmel School. She was also employed with Farfalina Drive-In on 22nd Ave.
Rita lived with her daughter, Johnette, and son-in-law, Jess, for over 17 years, most recently in Holly Springs NC.
A lifelong member of Mt. Carmel Church, Rita was a strong woman who loved beyond measure, forgave, and persevered. She had a heart of gold. She was the glue that held our family together. She was proud of her Catholic Faith and her Italian heritage. She loved listening to Italian songs. Italian food was her absolute favorite. She opened her house to everyone. Coffee was always brewing, and food was plentiful. She enjoyed the summers in Kenosha, spending time with her grandchildren, going to the church festivals, driving by Lake Michigan, and eating at her favorite restaurants.
My Dear Mother, “We loved you every day and now we will miss you every day.”
Rita is survived by her five children, Lynnann (Kevin) Kortright, Kathleen (Joseph) Romanak, Pamela (Giuseppe) Montemurro, Dino (Janice) Marchesini, and Johnette (Jess) Feekes; her two nephews and niece that she loved as her own children, Carmen (Cindy) Vite, Eugene (Chong) Vite, Margaret (Ron) Ade, her former son in law Dennis Vanderhoof; ten grandchildren, and twenty-one great grandchildren.
Along with her parents and husband, John, Rita was preceded in death by her brothers Edward, Mario “Joseph”, Michael A., Louis “Springy” Vite, and Sister Mary Julianna, her grandson, Steven Kortright, and her niece, Anne Puder.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 4, 2021. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m.at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, 1919 54th St. Interment will follow in St. George Cemetery. A visitation for Rita will take place on Thursday, June 3rd from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances would be appreciated by the family.
Granddaughter Janelle says
Grandma, my heart breaks every day for you and for the family. I see your picture and think it’s not real, I’ll walk into the house and you’ll be sitting in your chair. I wear your sweater every day just to keep you close to me. You were an amazing person, with a heart of gold. In life, we loved you dearly, in death we love you still. In our hearts you hold a place, no one else will ever fill. I will forever think of you and miss you. Until I see you again.
I love you more than words can say
Debi Schneider says
So sorry for your loss. Heaven got another angel.
Denise Dragich, Myra Bernhart, Melissa Dragich says
Myra, Melissa and I just talked about our favorite memories of Aunt Rita. Mine: Every summer when the family came to visit, Aunt Rita brought me a huge stack of comic books as she knew I loved to read them! What a thoughtful aunt she was. But, there’s more!
She SAVED Myra’s life. We were eating fish at our Nona’s and Myra started to choke with a fish bone stuck in her throat. Our Mother, Frances, froze. Aunt Rita to the rescue- she put her hand in Myra’s mouth and pulled out the fish bone. Myra could breathe again! We remember that incident! Melissa said when she was around 8 years old she kept asking our Mom and Dad for boxing gloves. They always said “No.” After the Marchesin’s summer visit, Melissa got a package in the mail. Aunt Rita sent her a pair of red boxing gloves. No wonder everyone loved her so much!