Ritamae Kathleen Cobb

January 6, 1928 – December 25, 2025

Ritamae Kathleen Norton Cobb was born at home and put into a basket she would say. It was the Lord’s Epiphany on January 6, 1928, in Ravenna, Ohio.

She was the only child of a marriage between her father Michael J. Norton, who immigrated from Ireland and her German mother Agnes Witting, who had been widowed and a mother of her half siblings, Al, Leo, Francis, Charlie, Marie, and Toy. When Ritamae was incredibly young, her mother fell to an illness that crippled her and restricted her to a wheelchair for the remainder of her life.

Ritamae loved her childhood and learned to play the piano to entertain her mother and anyone who needed a musical lift. She got a small terrier dog named Sooner and a pair of roller skates that took her everywhere she needed or wanted to go. There are many stories of her hijinks in Ravenna, such as trips to the movie house, trips to Brady Lake, her catholic upbringing with Immaculate Conception Church, Dance skating, USO dances, and Kent University where she even flew student airplanes.

She married Fred Glose from Rocky River in Cleveland Ohio in 1947. Her first daughter was born in Ohio in 1949 and then they moved to St. Louis Missouri for work with General Motors. The family grew to a total of five children Coni, Kathy, Cory, Tina, and Mike. Rita was gifted in her piano playing and artistry (oil and cartooning). She was very active with her children, the PTA, school plays, and her many favorite pastimes, roller skating, bowling and later the casinos! She always allowed kitties and dogs into the family and loved them immensely.

Ritamae’s vision severely deteriorated with retinitis pigmentosa during her midlife years, but she never complained. The first marriage dissolved and a few years later, Ritamae met a wonderful widower, Mike Cobb. They married and did so much together. They traveled to Ireland, visited family, and went to many beautiful places. They continued to bowl, dance, sang and played music together until he passed away. Several years later, Ritamae met a lovely gentleman named Lloyd, who stayed in her life until his passing. She always remained very devoted to the Trinity, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Rita spent the last several decades as a single woman and stayed in her own home until she was late into her 90’s. She was always a bright light and anchor in so many lives, young and old. We have so many stories about Ritamae to tell for the rest of our lives.

She is survived by her son, Frederick Michael (Mike) Glose and his wife, Edith, her daughters, Kristine (Tina) Heupel and her husband Craig Heupel, Corinne (Cory) Grasso, and Kathleen (Kathy) McMiller and her husband Edward (Eddie) Davis. Surviving also are her grandsons; Barry Ballard, Shawn Heupel, and Mark Glose, her granddaughters; Michelle Rennolds, Carissa Stein, Shannon Heupel, Jenna Grasso, and Emily Kern, 11 great grandchildren, Brandon, Amber, Bella, Kylie, Joshua, Ariel, Theodore, Rowan, Emilia, Hannah, and Wyatt. Ritamae also is survived by many wonderful great nieces and nephews, Marie Jo (Kerzie) Osborne and her husband Jerry and son Joseph, Jo Anne Ambrosia, Jay and Palma, Sharon Berg, Carla Koshnick and many who have lost contact, plus many cousins, and stepchildren. Finally, Ritamae is survived by her precious Siamese kitty named Baby who continues to live with her daughter.

Ritamae is proceeded in death by her parents, Michael J. Norton and Agnes Witting Norton, her husbands Frederick Glose, and B. Mike Cobb, and her daughter, Constance (Coni) Ballard. And finally, her Berg siblings, Marie, Al, Francis, Leo, Toy, and Charlie.

Mass of Christian Burial, officiated by Rev. William Kraynak, will be held at 11am on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Immaculate Conception Church, 409 W. Main St., Ravenna. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Condolences and memories can be shared at www.wood-kortright-borkoski.com.