Rita Sheila Brown

Dr. Rita Sheila Brown, 89, of Palm City, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2017 at the Atria Woodlands in Ardsley, New York. Rita, the daughter of Frank and Tillie Kraus, was born February 9,1928. She grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and then lived in Freeport, Oyster Bay, and Mattituck, Long Island. Rita and her late husband Ed became full time Florida residents in 2013. Rita and Ed met shortly after the end of World War II, and were married in 1951. They enjoyed walks on the beach and the uniqueness of their Mattituck potato farm. After a marriage that lasted 66 years, Rita survived Ed by six weeks.

Rita came from a close-knit family circle which included her sister Judi and cousins Marilyn, Nona, Barbara and Carol. Her daughters Bonnie Seiler and Susan Angele survive her, as well as her son-in-law Alan Angele, and grandchildren Michael Seiler, Elizabeth Angele, and Caroline Angele.

Dr. Brown, a graduate of Brooklyn College, received a Masters Degree in Education from C.W. Post College and a PhD in Educational Psychology from Hofstra University. She developed a specialized private practice working with clients to facilitate their applications for testing accommodations in advanced degree programs including law and medical school. She also worked as a reading and literacy specialist at the elementary school level and later at the college level. Rita had a passion for topics related to the English language and vocabulary, which led her to build a collection of historical and contemporary dictionaries and reading primers. Rita was an expert in the field of educational assessment and often worked with test developers towards the standardization of updated norms.

The funeral service was Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 1:30 pm at Gutterman and Musicant Funeral Home, 402 Park Street, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601, with burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery, 12 Market Street, Saddle Brook, New Jersey 07663.

The family will sit Shiva afterward, from 4:00 – 8:00 pm, at the home of Susan and Alan Angele, 11 Riverton Drive, Upper Nyack, New York 10960.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Rita Brown’s memory to the International Literacy Association or the American Heart Association.