HUBBARD, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Rita M. Conti, 85, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 17, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born October 23, 1937, in Youngstown, the daughter of Albert and Rosetta DeGross Julius.

Despite the adversity she faced in her childhood growing up as a foster child, she overcame and never ever complained and always appreciated even the smallest things in life. She was the most selfless loving mother and wife a family could ever ask for, who cherished her family more than life itself. She always put her family and friends before herself and handed those values down to the family through the years. She found her strength in life through her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and enjoyed her prayer time daily.

Rita worked full time while tending to her children through their school years, maintaining her household while actively attending all events her children and later, grandchildren were involved in through these years. She retired as a phlebotomist from St. Elizabeth Hospital in 1999 after 35 years of service.

She was a member of St. Patrick Church in Hubbard.

In her spare time, she enjoyed spending time car-cruising with her husband, cooking, baking, working in the yard and gardening. She was a talented baker of world-class pizzelles and every year at Christmas also produced the coveted wafer cookies that her family planned for days how to pull off a heist of the entire batch. She had a beautiful voice, loved to sing and handed the gift of music down to her sons and grandsons and could often be found at one of her son’s gigs enjoying the music, dancing and offering her support as their biggest fan. Her greatest joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren and most recently her first great-grandchild. She became a beloved grandma to her grandson’s fiancées and was so proud of her whole family.

Rita will always be remembered lovingly by her husband, Donald J. Conti, Sr., whom she married December 5, 1963; three sons, Nicholas, Sr. (Sonya) Conti, Vincent Conti and Donald, Jr. (Ingrid) Conti; three grandchildren, Nicholas, Jr. (fiancée, Kirsten Hurd), Richard Kennedy (Alyssa Christie) and Damon (fiancée, Cleary Dunn); great-granddaughter, Charlotte; brother, Robert Julius; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Sheridan and her loyal canine companion, Colonel Mustard.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Dr. Joseph Julius and an infant grandson, Louis Conti.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 21, 2023, with an 8:00 p.m. funeral service at the Rossi Brothers and Lellio Funeral Home, 4442 South Avenue in Boardman.

Family and friends are encouraged to offer prayers for the family and support via phone call, text, email or may visit the Book of Memories at www.rossifunerals.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rita M. Conti, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

A television tribute will air Wednesday, April 19 at the following approximate times: 5:17 a.m. on WKBN, 8:39 a.m. on FOX, 5:21 p.m. on WYTV and 6:35 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.