Rita Ann Weinisch

Rita Ann Weinisch died October 5, 2025 at her residence in Voorhees, NJ. She was 87 years old.

Rita was born in Everett, Massachusetts, and spent most of her childhood in nearby Malden before moving to the suburbs of Los Angeles during her high school years. An only child of doting parents, she enjoyed a free-spirited youth out in California. In her early twenties, she blended easily into the glamorous LA social scene of the late '50s, spending many swinging nights alongside friends from the music and entertainment world. At one point she worked for Howard Hughes, among other roles that drew on her skills in stenography, shorthand, and customer relations.

In her late twenties, during a trip to New York with friends, Rita decided to look up a boy named Bibi she had met during a family visit to Brooklyn at age 13. She found him-and soon married him-becoming Mrs. Weinisch for the next 62 years, probably her favorite role of all.

Rita and Bibi settled in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, where she joined her husband's passion for raising and training racehorses. Together they bought a horse farm and moved to Freehold, New Jersey, spending most of their years there raising their two children, Marla and Eric.

Other activities that defined Lovely Rita included needlepoint, knitting (particularly sweaters), playing MahJong, and cooking for her family. She loved a good steak, a cold glass of Pinot Grigio, a cup of hot coffee, and anything chocolate.

While raising the kids-with help from her beloved mother, Fran, while Bibi traveled the East Coast racetracks-Rita owned and ran a small bakery, offering delicious cheesecakes, and traditional babkas.

Though she was a full-time mother and wife, she took on other roles as the kids got older, from customer service at Comcast to becoming a real-estate agent, broker, and eventually owning her own realty agency. Yet her favorite job remained motherhood and caregiving, which led her and Bibi to retire in Voorhees to be near Marla and help care for their cherished granddaughters, Gabi and Frannie-each the apple of her eye.

Throughout her life, Rita was an avid animal lover who shifted from glitz and glamour to farm life with grace and humor. Much like Eva Gabor's character from Green Acres, she could move from a nightclub lounge to a hay-filled barn without missing a tango step.

She will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her and leaves behind a lasting impression from every chapter of her long and spirited life.

Rita was predeceased by her cherished son Eric, and many friends. She is survived by her husband Bibi, daughter Marla Cohen and her husband Todd Pisani (the Cohanis), and grandchildren Gabi, Frannie, Matthew, and Jaden.

Graveside services are Monday, October 6, 2025 beginning 12:30 pm at Locustwood Memorial Park, Cherry Hill, NJ. Contributions in Rita's memory can be made to AWA Adoption Center, 509 Centennial Blvd, Voorhees NJ 08043 awanj.org/donate