Obituary of Rita A. Pappalardo

Rita A. Pappalardo of Elmira, NY, passed away on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at Arnot Ogden Medical Center, with family at her bedside. She was 91 years old. Rita was born in Elmira, the daughter of John Mailey and Catherine Agan Mailey. Rita graduated from Southside High School in 1948 and from St. Joseph's Nursing School, in Elmira, in 1951. She was a registered nurse. She married Paul J. Pappalardo on May 16, 1953, at St. Mary's Church in Elmira. Paul died in 2008. Rita is survived by her children, Karen J. Pappalardo of Cortland, NY; Brian C. Pappalardo of Elmira; Mark J. Pappalardo of Huntersville, NC with his wife Andrea and children, Richard (Rebekah) Carlock and Gregory (Allison) Carlock; Andrew J. Pappalardo of Brighton, NY with his wife René and children, Taylor (Deric) Huffman, Meg and Andrew (AJ); brother Thomas W. Mailey of Horseheads, NY with his wife Patricia and children, Thomas, Jennifer and Elizabeth; and 8 great-grandchildren. Rita was a pediatric nurse for many years, including her many years with Doctors Phillips & Hertzog. She was a substitute school nurse and an assistant in the anatomy lab at Elmira College. Rita enjoyed her bridge club and monthly nurses' lunches. She was a volunteer at the Steele Memorial Library, Meals on Wheel and the Arctic League. There will be a family only Mass celebrated for Rita on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. A livestream of the Mass will be available through the Facebook page for Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish (https://www.facebook.com/ElmiraCatholic). The family would like to thank the medical professionals at Arnot Ogden Medical Center for the compassionate care they gave Rita. Donations in Rita's memory may be made at BrightFocus Foundation (BrightFocus.org) or Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA (ChemungSPCA.org).