Rita Cavallaro, a lifelong resident of the Bronx, died on July 21, 2026. She was 97.
Mrs. Cavallaro was born on June 14, 1929 in the Bronx to the late Charles and Constantina (Farenga) Kubeil. Before her retirement she worked as a bookkeeper for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine for 25 years. She is pre-deceased by her loving husband of 52 years, Michael Cavallaro.
She is survived by two her daughters, Camille and Linda; six grandchildren and their spouses; nine great grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, July 27 at 10am at St. Clare’s Church, 1918 Paulding Avenue, Bronx. Entombment will follow at St. Raymond’s Cemetery, 2600 Lafayette Avenue, Bronx. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributes in her memory to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Dear Grandma – you were an amazing women and a person that touched the lives of so many. I am honored to have had you as my grandmother. You taught me so much over the years and you always were a shoulder to lean on in time of need. Your devotion and commitment to your family was like no other. You truly were an angel sent from above. I cherish every moment we spent and shared together, for those will remain the best memories and forever live in my heart. I am sad to let you go, but I am happy that you are now at peace and you will join grandpa in eternal rest. I love you with all my heart and I hope you show me signs that you are still close from time to time. – love your grandson Angelo F.
Words that describe Rita – strong, selfless, unassuming, generous, caring.
The happiness and needs of her husband, children and grandchildren were always her priority. In the early years of her married life, when money was probably tight, she always put herself last. She asked for nothing and insisted that she didn’t need anything. It was always important that her husband and her children did not go without. That was her mission. Our father should get a new car whenever he needed one; my sister and I should have the doll or whatever other toy we wanted at that time; that would always be a perfect meal on the table every night ; and we should all be dressed nicely. When grandchildren came along, it was the same. She gave of herself freely. She took a week off from work when each grandchild was born and worked tirelessly to wash, cook clean and wait on her daughters. Her grandchildren adored her, and they were surely her weakness. In typical grandparent style, she was far more of a pushover for her grandchildren – it was spare the rod and spoil the child. As they grew into teens, they always knew they could go to grandma when they had a problem. They formed close bonds and have many many memories. As the great grandchildren were born, she was more limited physically, but loved how they gravitated towards her and wanted to care for her.
When my sister and I married and had our own families and dealt with our own budgets, my mother always made sure that we had great birthdays and Christmas surprises. She would pay for our pool club or give us money for a trip. That’s what made her happy. Even though she worked, she never said no to babysitting.
In her latter years, when she became widowed, she kept going. She continued to travel with her best friend Esther, who was like a Sister and renewed her relationships with her first cousins Louis and Vincent. Some of her happiest memories were spent with them at Louis’s home on cape cod . When Esther passed, she made new friends and went on again. She met her friend carol who became a busom buddy. well into her 80s, she traveled to Mexico and other places. She kept going. She was never negative – always positive. she was in her 90s and still food shopping, cooking and taking care of the multifamily home that she owned with her nephew Louis. Louis and his wife Donna were very close to her. Unfortunately, like many others, the isolation of Covid clipped her wings and permanently changed her life as she knew it. Again, she endured. The last few years were a little more challenging for her, especially after her stroke. The last 2 1/2 years have been difficult, but yet she still managed to make friends at At The Fountains, where she was residing. the people and staff there held her in high esteem. I was very touched by how affected the residence were at her death. People were stopping me in the dining room and the parlor, crying and telling me what a wonderful nice person my mother was.
We are sad to lose our mother, however, we know that we were blessed to have mommy as long as we did. She lived for 97 years. She had a happy, strong marriage of 52 years. Friend and mother to two loving daughters. Six grandchildren and their wives/husbandswho truly loved her and whom she doted on. Nine great grandchildren and 6 step great grandchildren. she worked for 25 years at a job she loved. With our dad, she traveled around the world. Her life was full.
It was time. Time to end the pain. Time to rejoin her parents, husband, brother, cousins, other dear relatives, and Friends
Dear Camille and Linda,
What a beautiful eulogy you both wrote! You will always feel the loss of your mom but will have wonderful memories to share . God bless your families
Rosemary Petti