Rita Lenore Russell Rosensweig

Rita Lenore Russell Rosensweig peacefully entered into eternal life on Sunday, June 25, 2017 after a long struggle with breast cancer. Rita was born on October 26, 1956 in Medford, MA, the daughter of the late William Arthur Russell, Jr. and Teresa Silvestro Russell. Rita, a graduate of St. Joseph School and Medford High School, class of 1974, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, one of only 70 females in her graduating class. Upon graduation, Rita worked at a private architectural firm in Boston. She then worked at MIT, where, in 1981, she met the love of her life, Jeffrey Alan Rosensweig, while he was pursuing his doctorate at MIT. Rita and Jeff married on June 4, 1983 in Gloucester, MA. They lived in Cambridge, MA and Kingston, Jamaica, before settling in Atlanta in 1985. Rita devoted her life to her family. Rita, a parishioner at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and a member of the original church Building Committee, shared her background and training as an architect with the Committee. A member of the Sandy Springs Garden Club and a dedicated gardener, Rita was known for her green thumb. Rita enjoyed design and space planning, using her knowledge and skills in her two beautiful homes and gardens. Rita was a mentor to disadvantaged children, volunteering her time to tutor them. She was active in the Big Sister program and various community and Catholic charities. She enjoyed fine arts such as Chinese brush painting and jewelry making and was an accomplished pianist. Family and close friends were the touchstones of Rita’s life. A talented and gracious hostess, she loved entertaining them as well as many visiting students and dignitaries in her Atlanta home. Throughout her life, Rita enjoyed spending her summers at her family’s home in Gloucester, MA, and, since 2001, at her home in Tybee Island. Rita doted on her grandchild, Donna “Ellie” Escher. Always devoted to fashion and design, Rita enjoyed picking out clothing and accessories that would suit her friends and family and was known for her enthusiastic gift giving. Rita was predeceased in 2015 by her father, William Arthur Russell, Jr. She is survived by her mother, Teresa Silvestro Russell of Gloucester and Middleton, MA; her loving husband, Jeffrey Alan Rosensweig, their daughter, Maria Escher, son-in-law Lance Escher, and granddaughter, Donna Eleanor Escher of Cheverly, MD; their son, John Nathan Rosensweig of Chicago, IL; her brothers and sisters, their spouses, and their children: William F. Russell of Revere, MA; Linda Russell (Paul Dudek) of Haverhill, MA; Maria Russell Cakiraga (Turgut) and their son, William of Placentia, CA; Joanne Russell, her children, Edward, Rose, Luke, and Xavier Mazurek of Melrose Park, PA; Richard Russell (Donnagene) and their children, Serena, Lily, and Hayden of Melrose, MA; and Robert Russell (Judy Conley) of Middleton, MA. Rita is also survived by her uncle, Fr. Dominic Silvestro, of Perugia, Italy; her aunt, Marie Silvestro Cincotta, of Virginia, and many beloved cousins and friends. The family will receive friends on Thursday evening at H. M. Patterson & Son – Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road, NE, Sandy Springs, GA from 6-8 pm, with a Prayer Service beginning at 7:30 pm. A Funeral Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Atlanta on Friday, June 30, 2017 at 11 am. A reception will be held in McDonough Hall at Holy Spirit immediately following the Mass. The burial procession will depart Holy Spirit at 2 pm. for the committal and interment at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. A celebration of Rita’s life will be held in Massachusetts at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Joseph School, 132 High Street, Medford, MA 02155.