Rita Ann Sabruno

Rita Ann Sabruno, 70, of Meadville, passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at the Crawford County Care Center after a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

She was born October 20, 1936 in Peoria, IL, a daughter of Harold V. and Ruth Ison Ryder.  She was adopted in 1948 by James Costello after her mother remarried.

Rita was a 1954 graduate of Wickliffe High School, Wickliffe, OH.  She worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for several Cleveland, OH businesses prior to raising her children.

She was a member of Park Congregational Church where she served in many capacities over the years, including trustee, elder, and auditor.  She recently volunteered as the secretary for the church.  She also helped for several years in her daughter’s business, On Your Toes Dancewear.  She enjoyed spending time at home reading her Bible and researching her family genealogy.

Survivors include her father, James Costello of Meadville; a daughter Sabrina Mailliard and her husband Tim of Meadville; 2 sons, Gino Sabruno of Conneaut Lake and Nick Sabruno and his wife Vanita of Washington, DC; 7 grandchildren, Lauren Thomas and her husband Jay of Meadville; Kristen Boyles and her husband Derek of Guys Mills; Beth Yunik and her husband Josh of Warren; Jocelyn Sabruno of Pittsburgh; Sam Sabruno of Pittsburgh; Patrick Mailliard of Meadville; and Zachary Mailliard of Meadville; and 1 great-granddaughter, Erin Yunik of Warren.  She was preceded in death by her mother, Ruth May Costello.

Calling hours will be Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Robert W. Waid Funeral Home, 581 Chestnut St., Meadville and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Park Congregational Church, 1040 Washington St., Meadville.  A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the church with the Rev. Rodney Johnson officiating assisted by the Revs. Alice McClymonds and Joe Kauffer.

Interment will be in Greendale Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ALS Assoc., Western PA-West Virginia Chapter, Landmarks Building, 100 W. Station Square Dr., Suite 550, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.