peacefully passed away in her sleep on October 22, one week shy of her 95th birthday. She died in the midst of life, highly interested in the goings on of her beloved family members and her kind caretakers at Rose Court in Glen Mills, PA.
Rita was born in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1926. She survived a tumultuous early childhood to create a secure life and family with the steady, patient support of her husband of seven decades, Leon. Through her work as a typist, she joined Leon in providing a solid life for her children, Lynn Puritz-Fine (Allen, deceased) of Iowa City, IA and Jeffrey Bruce Puritz (Marge) of Franklin Park, NJ.
Rita was a force. She was direct, unfiltered, and wryly hilarious. She was unusually open-minded for her time. She loved to make a splash and dress to the nines. Shopping and gift-purchasing for her family was her sport. She was famous amongst the sales clerks in the Florida Mall who knew her by name and were conversant in embarrassing details about her family members. She never met a baby she didn’t gush over, from her great-grandchildren Elliot and Simon to kids in strollers at Target. Generous beyond measure, she and Leon made the three hour drive from New Jersey to Long Island whenever Lynn called for help with sick children. Rita lavished love, gifts and support upon the grandchildren who could do no wrong in her eyes: Emily Wentzell (Adam) of Iowa City, IA and Joshua Wentzell (Esther) of Philadelphia, PA. She never stopped growing as a person and keeping with the times.
Following her wishes, the family will celebrate Rita’s life privately. If you’d like to honor her, go buy yourself something nice and enjoy it!
