Rita Tabellion, age 97 of Bolivar, passed away peacefully, on July 19, 2024, surrounded by her family.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joe, of 65 years. She is survived by her children, Ken (Chris) Tabellion, BettyDunton (Bob Sweet) and Karen (Roger) Tylke and grandchildren Katherine Dill, Kerri (Dan) Orzech, Kelly Ehmer (Mike Bakos), Brandon (Melissa) Tylke, Katie (Josh) Zielaskiewicz, Andy (Abby) Tylke, Elizabeth (Matt) Pahls, Zoe Dill, and Paige Dill. Step grandchildren Robert (Ari) Hatton and David (Lisa) Hatton. Rita also really enjoyed the company of her 12 great grandchildren. Rita is also survived by her sister, Dorothy Chaney.
Rita’s joy in life was being with family and friends. She was very social and loved being with people.
Her grandmother became ill during Rita’s school Christmas vacation and she went to Canton to help take care of her grandmother. Her sister was working at Timken and planned with a coworker to meet up with some friends for a midnight show on New Years Eve at Lowes Theater. The theater’s usher made sure she sat by her sister’s coworker’s brother, who was on leave from the Air Force military. His name was Joe. He and Rita spent time together while Joe was on leave and he then asked Rita’s Dad permission to “go out with him”.After she graduated from Magnolia High School in 1945 she began working at Ohio Power in Waynesburg, OH where she lived with her Aunt in Waynesburg as she did not have a car. After Joe was discharged from the military, they were married at St. James Church in Waynesburg, OH. They lived their married life in Bolivar, OH where Rita worked at Reeves Bank/Huntington Bank as a teller, then as the loan secretary for 23 years. After she retired she worked a few years at the Giant Eagle in the bakery. In her retirement years she enjoyed quilting and crocheting, she made all her children and grandchildren an afghan for their wedding as well as quilts for her children and grandchildren.
Rita was a life time member of the Bolivar American Legion Auxiliary
She was Catholic by faith and a member of the Church of Holy Trinity in Zoar. She enjoyed going to the Mineral City Senior Center to visit with friends. Rita was always lucky with drawings, in 1996 she won an all expense paid trip in a contest sponsored by Dial Soap to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta GA.
The family would like to thank the staff of Crossroads Hospice for their spectacular care and compassion during Rita’s recent illness as well as the caring staff at the Inn at Northwood. She will miss her friends she made during her stay at the Inn.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Lebold-Smith Funeral Home in Bolivar. Deacon Lyn Houze will officiate and burial will follow in Ft. Laurens Cemetery in Bolivar. Friends may call at the funeral home from 9:00 AM until time of services at 11:00 AM. To share a memory, please visit the funeral home’s web site. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Crossroads Hospice at 3743 Boettler Oaks Dr. Suite E Uniontown, Ohio 44685.
Lebold-Smith
330-874-3113
www.smithfuneral.com
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