IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Rita M.
Vargo
September 15, 2014
Obituary
ELKHART — Rita M. Vargo, 92, of Elkhart, passed away from natural causes Monday evening, Sept. 15, at Eastlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Elkhart.
She was born in Detroit on Oct. 14, 1921, to the late James C. and Blanche (Boulanger) Finney.
She married Francis J. Vargo Sr. on Sept. 29, 1944, in Detroit. He passed away in 1997.
Also preceding her in death was a son, Stephen D. Vargo.
Surviving are her children, Rita (Ray) Michaels of Lansing, Mich., Frank (Barb) Vargo of Elkhart, John (Shary) Vargo of Christchurch, New Zealand, Mary Ellen Kennedy of Adrian, Mich., Blanche (Michael)Stanek of Tecumseh, Mich., and Phillip Vargo of Mesick, Mich. Nineteen grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren survive as well.
Visitation will be at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, with a Franciscan wake service and rosary taking place at 7:30 p.m. Friends may also call for an hour prior to the Mass of Christian Burial, which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1405 N. Main St., Elkhart. The Rev. Jason Frieburger will officiate. Cremation will follow the service with burial taking place at St. Hedwig Cemetery in Dearborn Heights, Mich., at a later date.
Although Rita was a homemaker, she amassed quite a list of accomplishments at the time of her passing. She worked nearly 10 years at TRW, a Southfield, Mich., based credit company. She volunteered her time as a peer counselor at ARC (Adult Recovery Center) in Ann Arbor, Mich, which was designed to help recovering alcoholics. She was a devout member of St. Gemma Catholic Church in Detroit, and was a member of the church's Rosary Society and Scapular Guild. She was a member of the support staff for St. Paul of the Cross Retreat House in Detroit and a member of the Secular Franciscan Order of St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor. She also volunteered with a group which made cancer pads and heart monitor pockets for patients at all of the Detroit area hospitals. In her free time, she liked flower gardening, reading and traveling.
In memory of Rita, and in lieu of flowers, the family has requested that you donate a book to your local library, or make a donation to a charity of your choosing.
She was born in Detroit on Oct. 14, 1921, to the late James C. and Blanche (Boulanger) Finney.
She married Francis J. Vargo Sr. on Sept. 29, 1944, in Detroit. He passed away in 1997.
Also preceding her in death was a son, Stephen D. Vargo.
Surviving are her children, Rita (Ray) Michaels of Lansing, Mich., Frank (Barb) Vargo of Elkhart, John (Shary) Vargo of Christchurch, New Zealand, Mary Ellen Kennedy of Adrian, Mich., Blanche (Michael)Stanek of Tecumseh, Mich., and Phillip Vargo of Mesick, Mich. Nineteen grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren survive as well.
Visitation will be at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, with a Franciscan wake service and rosary taking place at 7:30 p.m. Friends may also call for an hour prior to the Mass of Christian Burial, which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1405 N. Main St., Elkhart. The Rev. Jason Frieburger will officiate. Cremation will follow the service with burial taking place at St. Hedwig Cemetery in Dearborn Heights, Mich., at a later date.
Although Rita was a homemaker, she amassed quite a list of accomplishments at the time of her passing. She worked nearly 10 years at TRW, a Southfield, Mich., based credit company. She volunteered her time as a peer counselor at ARC (Adult Recovery Center) in Ann Arbor, Mich, which was designed to help recovering alcoholics. She was a devout member of St. Gemma Catholic Church in Detroit, and was a member of the church's Rosary Society and Scapular Guild. She was a member of the support staff for St. Paul of the Cross Retreat House in Detroit and a member of the Secular Franciscan Order of St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor. She also volunteered with a group which made cancer pads and heart monitor pockets for patients at all of the Detroit area hospitals. In her free time, she liked flower gardening, reading and traveling.
In memory of Rita, and in lieu of flowers, the family has requested that you donate a book to your local library, or make a donation to a charity of your choosing.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rita M. Vargo, please visit our flower store.
Services
Franciscan Wake And Rosary
September
19
Billings Funeral Home
Starts at 7:30 pm
Visitation
September
20
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
10:00 - 11:00 am
Mass Of Christian Burial
September
20
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
Starts at 11:00 am