Rita Marie (Bonugli) Sollitto, age 87, passed away on Tuesday, May 23rd. Raised and educated in East Boston, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Margaret “Helen” (Williams) Bonugli. Rita was proud of the 38 years she worked at Tufts University in Medford, eventually retiring as an Assistant to the Registrar. She moved to Somerville in 2019. Rita loved to travel and once drove across the country. She also enjoyed trips to Florida, Hawaii and Europe. She was famous for her holiday baking, especially her homemade cannoli and Italian cookies, prepared in batches of 15 dozen at a time.
Rita was the devoted mother of Joseph A. Sollitto, Jr. of New Orleans and Denise M. Sollitto of Arlington. She was the dear sister of John Bonugli and his wife Mary, Robert Bonugli and his wife Patricia, all of Revere, and the late Muriel Villani and her late husband Gerald of East Boston. Rita was predeceased by her husband Joseph A. Sollitto, Sr., and is survived by several loving nieces and nephews.
Funeral from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford on Thursday, June 1st at 10 AM followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Raphael Church, 512 High St., Medford, at 11 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours Wednesday, May 31st, from 4 through 8 PM. Services will conclude with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden.
As an expression of sympathy, contributions may be sent in Rita’s name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorials Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or Make-A-Wish Foundation of Mass., One Bulfinch Place, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02114.