Obituary of Rita Ann Epilone

Rita Ann Epilone, the beloved partner of Edgar 'Bert' Mercado and doting Mommy to her loyal fur babies Eggy, Santino' Sammy,' and 'Rosie, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2023, after a brief illness. Born on August 11, 1955, in New York, and loved beyond measure, Rita will be deeply missed. Her children, including Craig (Heather) Rubino, Christopher (Mona) Rubino, and William Rubino, brought her great joy, and they knew the feeling of a mother's unconditional love. The loss of her son, Joseph (Mallory) Rubino, left a scar that would never heal. Her grandchildren Angelia, Nicholas, Nathan, Aubrey, Finley, Harper, and Blake knew her as a fun-loving and devoted nanny. Survived by her Mother, Frances Epilone, Rita was a protective and caring older sister to Gregory (Debra) Epilone, Jane (Vranae) Epilone, and Christine (George) Demmers. She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Epilone, and her brother Dennis Epilone. Last but certainly not least, Rita will be powerfully missed by her remaining family, especially her nieces and nephews. Her co-workers, and the many friends she touched throughout her life will always be sad that she left us far too soon. Anyone that knew Rita knows that her family was her life's central focus. This clarity of purpose began early on. After graduating high school and moving out of her parent's home, Rita often had her younger sisters stay for weekend sleepovers and girls' nights filled with cooking, nail painting, and discussing their futures. She made time for this while routinely providing companionship to her aging relatives. Several years later, Rita married and began a family of her own. As each of her sons was born, her commitment to becoming the best mother she could grew stronger. As the boys grew older, Rita decided to expand her life path and begin working outside the home. She spent most of her career with Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office serving as Customer Care Manager in Manhattan starting in 1994. In the early 1990's Rita's parents, her sister Jane, and all her sons began migrating from New York to Florida. Eventually, being so far from her family was too disheartening for Rita. So, in 2009, she and Bert packed up their Queens apartment and headed south for a life in the sun. It didn't take long for Rita to realize this was one of the best decisions of her life. Even though her father had since passed, she was close to her mother, her sister, and her sons, and she could finally be an active grandma 'nanny' to her growing clan of grandchildren. The love Rita gave each of them individually was unparalleled, and the fantastic group memories from the family dinners, the sleepovers, the movies, the bowling trips, the swimming parties, the chats, and the unconditional support she gave will be with them the rest of their lives. Her generosity of spirit was matched only by her tireless efforts to keep her family happy and healthy. Rita was many things, she was a mother, a daughter, a nanny, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a friend, an animal lover, a mentor, and an employee, but beyond all these things, Rita was simply a good person, with a good heart who did good things for people and worked tirelessly to make and keep her family happy and together. She could be bold but still gentle, loud but still kind, serious but still funny. Like all of us, Rita could become angry but was always, in all ways, forgiving. She had a heart as big as the ocean and loved more deeply than most people could comprehend. If more people were like her, fewer people would be lonely, fewer people would be suffering, and most importantly, more people would be loved. Friends may visit the Reese Funeral Home, 6767 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, FL, on Saturday, June 3, from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. A Celebration of Life will be held at the same location Sunday, June 4, 2023, at 1:00 P.M until 2:00 P.M.