Rita Catherine Bennett (Kolarik), a life-long resident of Baltimore, passed away on Friday July 16, 2021 at age 94 surrounded by family. She was the beloved wife of Leroy W. Bennett and the cherished daughter of the late Charles Kolarik and Estelle Kolarik (Mathia).
Rita is survived by her daughter, Janet Pellegrini (Bennett); her son-in-law, Ronald Pellegrini; her granddaughter, Nicole Pellegrini; and her siblings, Catherine Lloyd (Kolarik), Frances Hall (Kolarik), Richard Kolarik, and Charles Kolarik. She is additionally preceded in death by her son, Mark L. Bennett.
Rita was a devoted mother and loving grandmother. During her lifetime, she enjoyed many hobbies, but arguably, none so much as the time she spent painting, especially with her husband. Together they created many beautiful masterpieces depicting Baltimore landmarks, like the Patterson Park Pagoda, and other various scenes of nature and the Baltimore community. Rita also was an avid bowler through Fair Lanes Bowling Club where she won several awards and made many dear friends. She was also the biggest booklover; there was not a time she did not have a pile of books she was reading conveniently by her side.
To have known Rita is to have known a wonderful woman, full of life. To celebrate the joy she always exuded, family and friends are invited to gather at the Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc. (9705 Belair Road Nottingham, MD 21236) on Saturday July 24th at 12:00 PM where a memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM. The family has expressed their wish that gestures of sympathy be made by charitable donations to Gilchrist Hospice Care, 11311 McCormick Rd., Ste. 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or to the "Johns Hopkins University", c/o Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Suite 724A, Baltimore, MD, 21205. Please include a note indicating the donation is in memory of Rita Catherine Bennett and intended to benefit Parkinson’s disease research in the Department of Neurology. Memorial gifts can also be made securely online at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/neuro. Online condolences may be left at: www.schimunekfuneralhomes.com
