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She was a secretary in the tax section of the trust department of the Canal National Bank. She was the first Jewish girl to work in a bank in the City of Portland. It was while she was working at the bank that she met her late husband, Edward L. Weisberg, who worked for the Internal Revenue Service. They were happily married for 48 years until the time of his death.
Rita was very involved with community activities. She was a member of Temple Beth El and a former board member of Temple Beth El Sisterhood, a member of the Jewish Community Alliance, And Center Women’s Club. She was also a life member of Hadassah, a member of Temple Beth El Brotherhood and a member of NARFE, an organization for retired and current federal employees. She was a Brownie Leader and did volunteer work at Temple Beth El and for many other charitable organizations. When her children were at West School, she did volunteer work in the classrooms. She taught Sunday school at Temple Beth El for many years.
Rita worked at the Portland Water District for 21 years and retired as a customer service coordinator in 1977. While at the water district, she wrote skits for their parties and poems for people that were retiring. After her retirement, she assisted her husband in his accounting practice until he passed away in 2000.
She and her late husband Eddie loved to entertain their many friends in their home and also had many family parties. Their parties very often involved original skits and games, and a variety of Rita’s homemade food and pastries were always enjoyed by their guests.
Rita and Eddie took many bus tours throughout the United States. At the end of many of their tours, they wrote a song or a poem about the entire trip and presented it to their fellow passengers on the last day of the trip.
Rita enjoyed attending OLLI (senior college) for many years at the University of Southern Maine. She was a member of the OLLI Singers,
Rita loved people. She was an extremely loving, compassionate and independent woman and was devoted to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, her sisters and their families. She adored her great-grandsons Maddik, Zachary, Tyler and great-granddaughters Macey and Alyssa. Family was the most important part of her life. She and her husband had a very special group of friends that remained constant for over 50 years. She also had many other friends beside that special group.
She was a caring daughter to her parents all through their lives during the years her parents were both in the Barron Center nursing home. She and her husband visited them faithfully and brought home-cooking many times a week. After her mother passed away, they took her dad out to lunch each Saturday for as long as he was able to be mobile.
She enjoyed crafts, doing collage, decoupage, writing poetry, satire and lyrics to music. She loved working on her computer, and made original greeting cards.
Rita and her husband loved to travel and the highlight of their trips was their trip to Israel in 1993.
She was predeceased by her husband Edward; her parents; and sisters Dianne Myra Richman, Judith Benjamen, Helen Levine and Marcia Cutler, her brothers-in-law Harvey Levine, Henry Cutler, and Abe Benjamen.
Rita will be remembered for always seeing the best in people, her zest for life, her sense of humor and a wonderful smile. Her inimitable sense of joy and fun brought a smile to many and she will be missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her daughter Susan De La Rosa, her son Jay Weisberg and his wife Rosalie; grandson Alvin Weisberg, step-grandson George Davis; great-grandchildren Maddik Weisberg, Macey Weisberg, step grandchildren, Zachary Davis, Alyssa Davis, Tyler Davis; many nieces, nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; and great-great-nieces and great-great nephews, brother-in-law Edward Richman.
A funeral will be held Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Beth El. Burial will follow in Temple Beth El Memorial Park. Arrangements are under the care of Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, Portland.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the: EDWARD L. WEISBERG FUND C/O Temple Beth El. 400 Deering Ave. Portland, ME 04103