Rose Marie Rizzo

Rose Marie Rizzo, 82, passed away Friday, December 1, 2017. She was born on August 9, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Demetrio and Josephine Zambrotta. She was married to the love of her life, Victor Rizzo, for 54 years after originally meeting him on a blind date.

Rose Marie was a stay at home mom and spent many hours as a volunteer in the local school district on Long Island, beloved by the teachers, staff and students. She loved cooking Sunday and Holiday dinners, spending time with family, and was an excellent bowler.

After her move to Charlotte in 2001, Rose Marie was very active in her community as Social Director and participated in many other neighborhood groups. Her greatest joy was family, and she was able to watch her grandsons at their many sporting events. She would travel frequently to Pennsylvania to see additional grandchildren, where she would hand down recipes, and play cards and games late into the night. She was the only person over 10 years old who would happily agree to play Monopoly at any time.

She is survived by her husband, Victor Rizzo; daughter Karen McDonagh (Brian); son Gary Rizzo (Kathleen); grandchildren Patrick McDonagh, Chris McDonagh, Greg McDonagh, Jennifer Rose Rizzo, Becca Rizzo, and Lucas Rizzo; soon to be grand-daughters Emily Crowder and Sarah Hanson; and Niece Lorraine Zambrotta and Nephew Victor Zambrotta (Marion).

A celebration of life will be held on January 20th. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Heart Association or the charity of your choice to honor her memory.

A memorial service will be held on January 20 from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Mcdonagh residence - 6408 Seton House Lane. Charlotte NC 28277.