William John RITA

RITA, William John

William John Rita passed away at his home in Springfield, VA on July 7, 2013. He was born in Hartford on June 25, 1934, the son of John B. Rita and Julia (Abbey) Rita. He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Shirley Ann (Smith) Rita of Coventry. He is also survived by his four children and eight grandchildren: his daughter Debbie Fasick, husband Jerry, and son Jay, all residing in Springfield, VA; his son William J. Rita Jr., wife Ena and son William Fabrizio, residing in Tolland, CT and New York City, his daughter Donna Goncharov, husband Peter Goncharov and two sons Alex and Greg, residing in Montebello, NY; and his son John George Rita, wife Lisa, and daughters Lexi O'Rourke, Sarah Nosrat, and sons Hayden and Hudson residing in Herndon, VA. He is also survived by his sister Constance Gessay and her family, residing in Tolland, and Mount Snow, VT. Bill Rita, Sr. had an unlimited love of his family. He also had a great interest in American history, quotations and writing. He is the author of The Just Pride of Patriotism: Great Words from American History presented in the Context of the Events that Inspired them 1607-1857. He also created "Who Said" a patented board-game utilizing quotations in a quiz format. He wrote "Theodosia", a play exploring a historical period from the vantage point of Aaron Burr's daughter. His most recent book, published in December 2012, is Joe Paterno: Hastily Tried, Unjustly Convicted, a spirited read defending Joe Paterno and the unfair punishment of the Penn State Football program. Combining his interest with numbers and the track, he authored The Exacta Bettors Guide, published under the pseudonym of Bill Rait. Bill Rita graduated from Rockville High School (CT) in 1952. Between 1953-1956, he served his country as a U.S. Marine. In 1959, he graduated from the University of CT in Storrs with a degree in Accounting, and earned his C.P.A. in 1967. In 1959, he began employment as an auditor with the General Accounting Office (G.A.O.) in Washington, D.C. He moved on to General Services Administration (G.S.A.) where he progressed to the position of Director of Finance. He retired from federal employment in 1982. He continued his career with a focus on projects related to government financial systems development, installation and operations. His employers included Deloitte & Touche, Grant Thornton and Information Management Consultants. With his wife Shirley, he visited all 50 of the United States and left photo albums that will be cherished by his family forever. From the moment he first saw Shirley in 1952, on the dance floor at Eagleville Lake, the young couple were destined to share their lives together.
The family will receive visitors at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax Va. between 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, July 11. A funeral mass will be held at Saint Bernadette's Roman Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, Va. on Friday, July 12, at 2 p.m. After the mass, friends are invited to the Rita home for a Celebration of his life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the Alzheimer's Association, in recognition of the loving care Bill Rita provided his wife Shirley these past few years. Visit www.fmfh.com