Wethersfield Obituary: Eleanor Rizzo, 96

Eleanor Marie Rizzo "Ellie, Gram-ma" died peacefully August 8, 2017, at the age of 96, surrounded by family. She'll be remembered for her love of people, life and conversation, her kind and generous nature and always smiling face.

She grew up in Hartford and graduated from Bulkeley High School. In 1940 she married Raymond Edward Dougherty. Together they had a son Raymond Bernard Dougherty, before divorcing. During the war she attended the Merchants and Bankers school in Hartford and Bates College before beginning work at the State of Connecticut's Department of Education.

She met and married the love of her life "Riz" at the Crescent Ballroom in Niantic and they were married for 44 years. After Ellie and Riz raised their family in Newington they retired to Wethersfield, and she spent her final years at Middlewoods of Newington where she made many new friends and served as the president of the resident board, voicing their needs. She was known as the "Ambassador" of Middlewoods. She would like to thank all the employees there for their kindness.

She was involved with many organizations including Newington PTA(President), Newington Child Study, Newington Junior Women, Women's Club of Newington, Newington and Wethersfield AARP, Wethersfield Horticultural Society and Wethersfield Hikers. She referred to herself as "a club woman." Ellie also spent many years volunteering at the Newington Regional Center.

She had a love of nature and the outdoors, fitness, sports, dancing, music, travel, reading and conversation. She even tried Persian rug making and belly dancing. But her favorite pastime was talking to people of all ages and sharing her stories, the many summers at the beach house with family in Niantic, and hearing all the news about her grandchildren. She was also blessed to have a wonderful group of friends that spent over 30 years together.

In her later years, after her husband passed, she traveled to many places, including Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canary Islands, Madeira and Iceland. Her goal was to see all of the United States…and she was very close to achieving that.

She was predeceased by her parents, Raymond (Romano) and Adele Armiraglio Righetto, her husband Julius H. Rizzo, her son, Dr. David J. Rizzo, her sister, Julia Nagle and her granddaughter, Emily Marie Walsh. She leaves her son, Raymond Dougherty and his wife, Phyllis, from Dighton, Mass., her daughter, Carol Walsh and her husband Stephen, from Wethersfield, her daughter-in-law, Debra Rizzo from Glastonbury, 6 grandchildren, Jonathan Dougherty, Elizabeth Dougherty, Jill and Laura Rizzo, Brian and Matthew Walsh and 2 great grandchildren, Declan Dougherty and Alexander Gotzke Dougherty.

In Mom's words, "I had a wonderful life!" She will be greatly missed.

Relatives and friends are welcome to call for visitation on Sunday, August 13, from 2:00 until 4:00 PM at Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial, 20 Bonair Avenue, Newington. A service of remembrance will be celebrated at 4:00 PM following visitation. Interment services at Rose Hill Memorial Park Cemetery will be privately held.