Marie Rizzio, 88, of Old Saybrook, passed away peacefully Thursday November 24, 2022, with family at her bedside. Born January 29, 1934 in Hartford, Connecticut, Marie was the daughter of the late Sam and Mary (DeFranco) Filomeno. In 1954, Marie was swept off her feet by the love of her life, Anthony Rizzio, with whom she married and raised their four beautiful children. Though she started her adult life in Wethersfield, some of her fondest memories were from her time living on Gates Road in Cornfield Point, Old Saybrook, where she found serenity by the shores of Long Island Sound.
Marie loved community and volunteering, including being an ongoing member and past president of the Cornfield Point Women’s Auxiliary. She was a parishioner of St. John’s Church in Old Saybrook, and an active member of their Ladies Guild. Marie looked forward to her Wednesday card games at the Estuary, where she continued to make friends and touch people’s lives. Marie enjoyed many years working at Harvey and Louis Opticians. Later, she leveraged her love of working with numbers as an employee with Aetna, where she met coworkers who would become lifelong friends. After retiring from Aetna, Marie took pride in working as a bookkeeper for Old Lyme Pharmacy.
Throughout her life, nothing was more important to Marie than her family. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren found immense comfort in the home she provided. In true Italian fashion, Marie found joy in feeding anyone who came to her home. She lovingly (and relentlessly) insisted everyone in her home have something to eat, whether it came from her main kitchen or her second oven in the basement. “Have some” was her go-to line and remains a family saying that brings humor and joy to our hearts. Second to her family, there was little Marie loved more than an evening of dinner and dancing on the town. In her later years, she would use her walker to make her way to the nearest crowd of strangers to join in the fun, often initiating the dancing by showing off her own moves. Marie was as smart as she was social. Her family fondly recalls her listening to her favorite Frank Sinatra tunes while finishing her Hartford Courant crossword puzzles, sometimes staying awake past midnight to fill in every last word.
Marie leaves many friends and family members who adored her. Her four children: Donna Rizzio of Old Saybrook, Kenneth Rizzio and his wife Donna of Wethersfield, Linda Rizzio Longobardi of Old Saybrook, and Carol Conklin and her husband Timothy of Old Saybrook will forever miss this one-of-a-kind matriarch. Marie leaves behind her treasured grandchildren: Cara Henderson of Old Saybrook, Dana Longobardi of Boston, Christopher Rizzio and his wife Jessica of Newington, Michele Marsh of Old Saybrook, Paul Rizzio and his partner Kaz Majkowski of Unionville, Kathryn Conklin of Old Saybrook and Darienne and Nicholas Moncada of Middletown. Marie took pride in her two great grandchildren Connor and Avery Henderson of Old Saybrook, who loved their Gigi and will be forever grateful that they had the chance to grow up with their Great Grandmother, which she was in every sense of the word. Marie leaves behind her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Ron and Connie Kehoe, Gary Kruse and Gloria Lombardo. She also leaves behind her nieces and nephews, who were so important to her and remained a constant source of love and support in each stage of her life. Finally, Marie leaves behind extended family and countless friends who were near and dear to her heart. Marie was predeceased by her beloved husband Anthony Rizzio, her sister Anna DiCiccio, brother Joseph Filomeno, sisters-in-law Patty Kruse and Lynn Filomeno, and brothers in-law Joe Lombardo and Sal DiCiccio. She was most recently predeceased by her grandson Steven Paparella.
Marie’s celebration of life will be held on Saturday, December 17th, 2022 at 12 noon, at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, 285 Church Street, Hartford, CT. To live stream the service, please visit spsact.org. Her family extends deep gratitude to those who have reached out during this difficult time, and we are embracing the stories of love, laughter and companionship that have been shared throughout her lifetime by all those who loved her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marie’s name to the Old Saybrook Senior Center or Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital . Marie’s funeral arrangements have been entrusted to D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield. To extend online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.
“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars.” ~ Frank Sinatra
