Rita Marie (Pohl) Buszek

Rita Marie (Pohl) Buszek, age 91, of North East, PA, passed away on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at her residence.

She was born on June 26, 1932 in Erie, PA, the daughter of Robert Stanley and Sophia (Dombrowiak) Pohl.

Rita dedicated her life to taking care of Ray and her five children. Ray and Rita were married on June 12, 1954 and enjoyed 69 years together.

Music, cooking, sewing, baking, canning, crafting and gardening were integral to her family. Rita and Ray were lifelong dance partners and dancing was their passion. She met Ray as a teenager, dancing with him at school dances continuing on to swing dancing, line dancing, square and round dancing, and ballroom dancing. They were selected to do a showcase dance at a local ballroom event in their late seventies and were stunning.

As a young woman, Rita worked at the Record Bar in downtown Erie, then raised her family. She was later employed as a legal secretary and a Realtor. After retirement and for twenty years, she and Ray spent winters in Mesa, Arizona. She was a member of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus Church in North East.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Betty F. Way, and a brother, Frederick Pohl.

She is survived by her husband Raymond, her children, Kimberly Mazza (Rick) of North East, Wendy Kulzer of Hattiesburg, MS, Mary Beth Danowski (Tom) of Harborcreek, PA, Ray Buszek (Kathy) of Lebanon, OH, and Melissa Griffin (Allan) of Oklahoma City, OK.;13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to services on November 18, 2023 at St. Gregory Thaumaturgus Church, 50 South Pearl Street, North East, PA. A visiting hour will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Celebration at 11:00 a.m. Private interment will be at St. Gregory Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Judes Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Judes Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to William D. Elkin Funeral Home, 65 South Lake Road, North East, PA.Please send condolences to elkinfh.com.

The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful care that Rita received from the Staff at Parkside North East and the LECOM VNA of Erie County Hospice Team.

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