Rita A. (Romano) Daley, 78
Worked with young children; enjoyed time with family

WESTMINSTER - Rita A. (Romano) Daley, 78, of 10 Bacon St., died Saturday, June 7, 2008, in the Heywood Hospital, Gardner, after an illness.

Rita was born on Oct. 27, 1929, in Fitchburg, the daughter of the late William A. and Anna S. (Korpi) Romano. She was a 1947 graduate of St. Bernard's Catholic High School. She also graduated from the Sergeant College, an affiliate of Boston University, with a Bachelor's Degree in physical therapy.

Rita worked with young children who had polio at the Helen Hayes Hospital formerly the N.Y.S. Rehabilitation Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y., at Crochet Mountain and Simon Heinburg in Fitchburg.

She also worked as the children's librarian at Forbush Memorial Library in Westminster. She was active in the 4H Club, the Westminster Historical Society, and also helped to compile the "Homestead and Heritage of Westminster" book, she was a member of the Friends of the Library. Rita loved to be with her grandchildren, family and friends. She also enjoyed reading and music and especially loved trips to the beach.

Rita leaves four daughters, Ellen Zibailo and Bonnie Lupien both of Westminster, Elizabeth Thompson and her husband, Rich, of Trumbull, Conn. and Kathleen Mauch and her husband, Craig, of Clifton Park, N.Y.; one son, James J. Daley III and his wife, Kathleen, of Westminster; 10 grandchildren, Melissa Lupien, Lindsy Lupien, Emily Lupien, Julie Thompson, Jeffrey Thompson, Kurtis Thompson, James Daley IV, Timothy Daley, Ian Mauch, and Lauren Mauch; one great-grandson, Cody Legault; one sister, Connie (Romano) Loescher of Westminster; one brother, Anthony Romano of Fitchburg; and several nieces and nephews. She was the wife of the late James J. Daley Jr., who died on Aug. 25, 2001.

Funeral services will be held Friday, June 13, at 10:30 a.m. in First Congregational Church of Westminster, 138 Main St., Westminster, MA 01473. Burial will follow in Woodside Cemetery, 9 Narrows Road, Westminster.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Westminster Community Food Pantry, 138 Main St., Westminster, MA 01473 or to Our Fathers House, 53 Lunenburg St., Fitchburg, MA 01420. The Westminster Chapel of the Sawyer-Miller- Masciarelli Funeral Homes directed arrangements.