Beloved wife and mother Rita Leblang, a resident of Beachwood, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, passed away peacefully on January 8. Born in Cleveland in 1928, Rita grew up near Cain Park, where she enjoyed going to concerts and other local events. An enthusiastic student, Rita attended Heights High, enjoyed dances and was active in her sorority. After Heights, Rita joined many of her classmates at Ohio University, where she met Bill (William) Leblang, who would become her partner of 38 years.
Rita studied psychology at OU, where she made lifelong friends and exercised her ability to talk with people from different backgrounds and connect with others. After three years, Rita joined Bill back in Cleveland where they married in 1950. Soon they started a family, raising their three sons in University Heights and Beachwood, while Bill began his career as an electrical engineer. For the next several decades, Rita focused on her sons and family, while developing her interests in antiquing and enjoying foreign travel, including trips to Western Europe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and other destinations in the Caribbean, and more trips around the US and Canada.
When Bill suddenly passed away from a heart attack in 1988, Rita mourned, but with the support of her friends and family she began to travel again and through a support group, she developed many new friendships. Over the next 25 years, Rita continued to forge new relationships, enjoy visits with her sons and her grandchildren, and to be a model of resilience and strength. In 1996, Rita married Phil Greenburg, her second husband, and they shared 8 years, which allowed Rita to continue to travel and explore the world.
After Phil passed, Rita faced a series of health challenges, and she moved into Wiggins Place, where she took advantage of many activities and continued her knack for meeting and engaging new people.
Rita is honored by her loving family--sons Dale, Judah, and the late Russell (Deahn), along with grandchildren Alexander, Charlotte, Lindsay, and Michael and great-granddaughter Lucy. Rita was the devoted daughter of Bernard and Fay (Weinbaum) Cohen and the sister of Gerald (Jerry), who predeceased her. Other loving family include her niece, Helene Gilbert, and cousins Amy and Justin Epstein, and Cheryl, Andy, and Marti Collantes.
Rita’s family will honor her life with a service at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel 1985 S. Taylor Road Cleveland Heights, Thursday January 11, 2024 at 12:00 PM. Interment Zion Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends immediately following internment at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple 23737 Fairmount Blvd Beachwood (2:00 PM to 5:00 PM).
Contributions are suggested to the American Heart Association.
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