Rita M. Raponi (nee Wagner), age 82 and a resident of Lorain, passed away Saturday, July 17, 2021 at her residence with her devoted husband of 53 years Ted at her side after a long illness. Rita was born December 18, 1938 in Piqua to the late Richard and Thelma (nee Frock) Wagner. She was a 1956 graduate of Bedford High School. Rita attended Hiram College. She was formerly employed as a secretary at Kent State University where she also typed many master's and doctoral dissertations, including her husband Ted's. She later received an associate's degree from the Business Division of Lorain County Community College where she worked for five years, and later several years at Oberlin College. Her hobbies and interests in her younger years include sewing, crocheting, painting, and more recently Sudoku. Soon after moving to Lorain, Rita visited the elderly as a volunteer through the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter. Rita is currently a member of Sacred Heart Chapel. For many years Rita was a volunteer for the Lorain County Board of Elections. Rita always enjoyed watching her sons participate in sports and musical activities. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and Sudoku. Most important to Rita was watching her beloved granddaughter Evie playing in soccer matches. Survivors include her husband Teodoro "Ted", son John Burns (Laura Radtke) of Oak Forest, Illinois, son and daughter-in-law Carl and Tamara (nee Smith) Raponi of Gahanna, son Richard Raponi of Cleveland, precious granddaughter Evelyn "Evie" Raponi of Gahanna, sister and brother-in-law Teresa (nee Wagner) and David Bulatek of Ithaca, New York and Lorain, sister-in-law Rosa (nee Raponi) Paulus and Joseph Todaro of Northville, Michigan, sister-in-law Filomena (nee Raponi) and Lawrence Orosz of Lorain, and many nieces and nephews and their families. Family will receive friends from 2-6 p.m., on Thursday at the Garland-Misencik Funeral Home, 851 Park Avenue, Amherst. The funeral mass will take place Friday, 9:30 a.m., at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Avenue, Lorain. Friends will be received at church one hour prior to the mass. Private family interment in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain. The family thanks Dr. Catherine Jones and the Cleveland Clinic Hospice Program for such compassionate care for Rita. In Rita's honor, memorials may be made to either of the following organizations that were dear to Rita's heart; Friendship Animal Protective League, 8303 Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria, OH 44035 or NRDC (National Resources Defense Council), P.O. Box 1830, Merrifield, VA 22116-8030 or online at act.nrdc.org.