Rita Mae Keefe

REXFORD With great sadness we announce the passing of our blessed mother Rita Mae (Romanelli) Keefe on February 1, 2024 at the age of 84. She was surrounded by her loving family and was reunited with her youngest daughter, Sheila (Keefe) Mai.
Rita was born on July 27, 1939 to Louis and Mabel (Lucas) Romanelli. She graduated from Keveny Memorial Academy. After high school she attended comptometer school and worked for Dairylea Dairies. She worked for several years at the former Cohoes Memorial Hospital in admitting and the credit department. Rita retired in 2007 from Cohoes Fashions (Cohoes Manufacturing) as credit manager and had worked for the company for thirty years.
Small in stature (4'9") but big in heart, wit, tenacity and love. She was tirelessly devoted to her children whom she raised and worked hard (often working 2 jobs) with selflessness and without complaint to provided for her children.
Rita enjoyed traveling with her family and her heavenly best friend, Kathleen Cure, with whom shenanigans were always afoot. She traveled a great deal throughout the United States with Hawaii being her favorite place. Rita loved reading, cross-stitch and puzzles, but her favorite pastime was being in the sun on the water. Whether it was our pontoon on Saratoga Lake aptly named, "Our Happy Place the QR1" (Queen Rita 1) or the pool was her second favorite, floating around on the QR2. She lived over 60 years in her home on Chestnut St. surrounded by the many birds, woodland creatures and stray cats she found the obligation to feed. She also enjoyed her next-door neighbors, Lori and Paul and Baby.
Family was the most important thing in her life. Jokes, laughter, games and good food, Rita was at the heart of it all.
She is survived by her children, Louis (Yolanda) Keefe of San Antonio, TX, Mary Anne (George) Keefe-Nadel of Rexford, Kathleen (Jeffrey) Mann of Cohoes and James (Kathy Scerbo) of Colonie; by her honorary daughter, Shirley "Cindy Lou" Demarco; by her siblings, Marguerite Bissell and Marion (John "Jim") Maloney of Parker, CO. She loved dearly her grandchildren, Olivia Rita (Nick Brown) Nadel, Jacob Nadel, Abby Keefe and Miguel Keefe. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and daughter, she was predeceased by her infant brother, Louis Romanelli and her brother-in-law, Robert Bissell.
A big thank you to Community Care Hospice, the Rubin Dialysis Center, Dr. Rogleri and the entire nephrology team as well as the Samaritan Hospital staff. Special thanks also to Dr. Stephen Lau for his special interest and care of Rita.
No funeral services will be held at this time but a celebration of life is being planned for a later date.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Rita's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society, 3 Oakland Ave., Menands, NY 12044.