Rita C. Kestler

Rita C. Kestler, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and sister, passed away on Friday, June 13, 2025. She was 95 years old.

Rita was born in Chicago, IL, on January 30, 1930 to Frank and Helen (Guzowski) Pokrzewinski. She married Gerard Kestler on June 20, 1953, spending over 48 loving years together until his passing in 2002.

Rita lived most of her life in the greater Chicago area, moving to Crawfordsville in 2022, to be closer to her daughter. She was a woman of quiet strength, who found joy in life's simple blessings-a purring cat on her lap, the smile of a baby in her arms, or the gentle rhythm of knitting needles in her hand. She lived a life centered on kindness and unwavering Catholic faith. At home, Rita would be found doing jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and sewing, as she was an excellent seamstress. She kept active, taking walks or tending to her little vegetable garden. She would tell you she did not like to cook but her smile lit up when she was enjoying one of her favorite meals: lobster.

Rita will be missed by her daughters, Deborah (Kenneth) Retzloff and Judith (Dick) Marshall; grandchildren, Martin and Shelby Owens; brother, Fr. Justus (Marcel) Pokrzewinski; and several nieces, nephews and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gerard; and daughter, Cynthia Kestler.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, 1530 Jackson Avenue, River Forest, IL from 9-10am CT, followed by a funeral mass at 10am. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, IL, where she will be laid to rest next to Gerard.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cure Alzheimer's Fund at https://curealz.org/about-us/ or Glaucoma Research Foundation at https://www.glaucoma.org/

Share memories and condolences at www.SandersFuneralCare.com.