Rita Laoretti, 97, of Sebastian, Florida, died February 15, 2022, at home with her daughters by her side. She is predeceased by Orelio (BeBe) Laoretti, her husband of 63 years.
She was born in Peekskill, NY, on July 18, 1924, and moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1946. Rita and BeBe moved to Sebastian in 1978. They had a summer home in Charleston, Rhode Island.
Rita is survived by her three daughters, Sandy, Linda, and Vicki, 5 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 8 great great-grandchildren.
Rita was a Charter Member of the Italian American Club of Sebastian, and she worked there as a waitress until 2013 when her daughters realized they missed her so much and begged her to come to live with them in Ocala, FL.
Life in Ocala was considerably slower than what Rita was used to in Sebastian. So she spent a lot of her time outside on sunny days, taking naps after walking around the yard pulling weeds.
Rita enjoyed reading, eating peanut M&Ms and ice cream cones, playing cards (even though she cheated according to her daughters), crafting, and watching all the children in the family play.
Her garden in Rhode Island was amazing; her grandchildren fondly remember running down to the garden every day in the summer to pick all the ingredients for the salad. This instilled a love of gardening in her grandchildren.
Rita also enjoyed spending time on the beach and traveling. She worked alongside her husband and helped him build houses.
Rita was a great cook and baker. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren loved to help her make homemade pasta. Her signature dessert dishes were blueberry pie and poke cake, which has become her great grandchildren’s favorite choice for their birthdays.
Rita was a loving mom, a caring granny, a big granny, as her greats affectionately called her, and an amazing person. She was loved by many and will be missed dearly. Her family takes comfort in knowing that Granny and Pop are together again.
