Rita DeJohn Corona

She was born on October 19, 1945 to Catherine Togni DeJohn and Thomas DeJohn in Syracuse New York.

Rita was a graduate of Solvay High School and Palm Beach College. She retired from St Mary’s Medical Center where she had been an Orthopedic and Emergency Room Registered Nurse for many years.

She lived in West Palm Beach since January of 1973. In that time she worked at Young Sophisticates, A Associates, Haverhill Nursing Home, St. Mary’s and more, including as an early morning school crossing guard. She got a great deal of joy from the kids. Rita gathered many lifelong friends along the way. She was witty, warm, funny, and quite clever in putting together a costume to wear to entertain patients and other staff. She loved celebrating the holidays and birthdays.

She enjoyed being busy spending time with her family and friends as well as quiet time watching the waves roll in at the beach. A true Tyrolean and Togni family member, her favorite food was polenta and chicken. Rita was extremely proud of being a Registered Nurse. She loved helping people, especially the elderly.

Rita dearly missed her Mom, Catherine Togni DeJohn who passed away October 23, 1999. When Rita first moved, she devised a plan to record and mail cassette tapes to our mother who was deaf and had trouble hearing on the phone. In turn, our mother would do the same. Soon, in both Solvay and WPB those tapes also recorded voices of other family members, friends and just about anyone who walked in the door. Long before the Internet was common those tapes flew through the U.S. Mail.

Rita was a communicant of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Parish in WPB and a member of the Solvay Tyrol Club Auxiliary.

Rita is survived by her sisters, Louise DeJohn and Marie Miczan, her niece, Mary Helen Rizzuto, and nephew, Jeffrey (Christine) Miczan, two grandnephews, Nicholas and Joseph Miczan and many, many cousins. She will greatly be missed by her family, many friends, and neighbors. Our family would like to especially thank Rita’s friends Jennifer Regan, Nadine Smith, and our cousin Beverly Togni Rapp who were so helpful during this very difficult time.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated 9:00 am Saturday, November 5th at St Cecilia Church, 1001 Woods Rd, Solvay, NY. Her final resting place will be in the Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum in Syracuse, NY. A memorial service will be held in West Palm Beach at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Cecilia’s Food Pantry at 105 Stanton Ave, Solvay, NY 13209 or Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Parish Food Pantry at 345 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415.

Please offer online condolences at www.bagozzitwins.com.