Rita C. Beaulieu Coppola, 90, of Berkshire Place,
89 South Street, Pittsfield, died Saturday, November 3, 2012. Born on February 22, 1922 in St. David, Maine, the last of eleven siblings, she was the daughter of the late Vital and Madeleine Cyr Beaulieu. A longtime Pittsfield resident, she had also resided at the Summit Chase Villa in Tavares, FL for over thirty years. She was educated in Madewaska, Maine schools. She married her husband, the late Felix A. Coppola on April 11, 1942 at the former Notre Dame Church in Pittsfield. He died on July 7, 1996. Mrs. Coppola was a homemaker extraordinaire.
While raising her family she had also worked over many years at GE, Wyandotte Mills, Elmvale Mills, Hillcrest Hospital, Hancock Shaker Village, Rock Ridge Farm, Canteen Vending and as a nurse's aide for the Willeke and Nesbit families. She was also a foster parent. While in Florida she was a volunteer at Hospice of Lake County, FL, and with the St. Vincent DePaul Society. She was a member of the St. Anne's Sodality at Notre Dame Church and enjoyed her bowling league at Jeff's in Pittsfield. An excellent seamstress, knitter and cook, she also enjoyed gardening. One of her favorite pastimes was playing Spite and Malice with her kids and grandkids and often beating them. Rita was a devout Catholic and her love of God and the Blessed Mother was very important to her. She leaves three sons: Charles A. and Bruce P. "Bo" of Tavares, FL, and Anthony F. and his wife Martha of Kirkland, WA. Three daughters; Jennifer A. and Rita M. "Tina" both of Pittsfield and Colette T. of Asheville, NC. She also leaves her thirteen loving grandchildren and seven great grandchildren and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

FUNERAL NOTICE: Funeral services for Rita C. Coppola who died November 3, 2012 will be held at St. Joseph Church in Pittsfield at a later date and time to be announced. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorial donations in memory of Rita may be made to the Denise Kaley Fund for Berkshire County Women with Cancer, the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter or to the St. Jude Children's Hospital all in care of the DERY FUNERAL HOME, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield, MA which is in charge of arrangements.