Rita M. (Groitl) Callahan of Liverpool, NY died in her home on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at age 87.
Rita was born in Wetterfeld, Germany on December 1, 1932, the 5th of 8 children of Josef and Margarete Groitl on the family farm in Bavaria.
She was predeceased in 2006 by her husband of 51 years, Thomas M. Callahan, and her son Patrick A. Callahan.
Rita is survived by her remaining 6 children, Thomas P. Callahan of San Tan Valley, AZ, Mary M. Zimmer (Timothy) of North Syracuse, Joseph M. Callahan (Christina) of New York City, John M. Callahan (Tracy) of Minoa, Eileen R. Reizun (Scott) of Cazenovia, and Rita C. Flaherty (Timothy) of Orlando, FL. Rita is also survived by 21 grandchildren and 6 great-granddaughters, with a 7th great-granddaughter arriving this fall.
Rita was a strong, spunky, busy girl and worked on the farm to help the family, and her mother depended on her to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rita mourned the death of her mother in 1944 for the remainder of her life. In 1950, Rita moved with her cousin and best friend Anne to Nuremberg, Germany where she met a handsome American soldier, who later became her husband Thomas. They quickly hit it off despite a distinct language barrier, and remained close during the remainder of his tour of duty in Germany. Upon the death of Rita’s father, Rita and Thomas discussed plans for her emigration to Ottawa, Canada in large measure because it was the closest Canadian city to Syracuse, allowing Thomas to visit her more easily. Thomas left Germany on emergency leave to attend to the failing health of his own father, and Rita made passage on the MS Nellie to Canada as part of a Canadian Post-WWII domestic worker visa program in 1951. Rita repaid the costs of her travel in less than one year even though it was estimated to be a two-year repayment process. Following that, she worked in Ottawa and lived with the Collins Family, of Lisgar Street in Ottawa, who welcomed Rita as both a daughter and a sister. She resumed her courtship with Thomas, and they married in St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa on a very snowy day in January, 1955. Rita arrived in Syracuse on May 5, 1955, and Central New York remained her home for the remainder of her life.
Rita was a communicant of the Franciscan Church of the Assumption since that time. Rita became a US Citizen in June 1960. Rita was a busy homemaker right until the week of her death, and took pride in canning tomatoes, jellies, sauces, and fruits. She cooked and baked many delicious family recipes, and embraced her husband’s large extended family in Syracuse, despite Thomas’ jokes about her “German warmth.”
Rita also worked for nearly 20 years at the former Onondaga Savings Bank, working her way up from the mail room to the accounts payable department, from which she retired in 1995.
Even in her later years, Rita mowed her own lawn, shoveled her own sidewalk, and insisted on managing her affairs in all respects. She and Thomas were the proud owners of a family camp in Florence, NY where they and their children hunted, fished, swam, and planted gardens, even after a fire in 1976 caused them to rebuild the house from the foundation on up. Rita was fully involved in planning, building, and maintaining the camp throughout her life, and often enlisted a work force of family and friends to keep things up to standard.
Rita devoted herself to the education of her children and took pride that her children include two physicians, two nurses, a lawyer, a Syracuse Police lieutenant, and two West Point graduates.
Arrangements are being conducted by Keegan-Osbelt-Knight Funeral Home.
There will be no public calling hours.
A Mass of Christian Burial at Assumption Church will be conducted on Thursday at 10:00 AM. She will be buried with her husband, Thomas M. Callahan at the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Donations may be made in her name to the Syracuse Police Benevolent Association, 511 S. State Street, Syracuse, NY 13202 (www.syracusepba.com)
Please visit www.syracuse.com/obits to leave a condolence message or sign the Guestbook. The obituary will be published in both Tuesday and Sunday's edition of the Syracuse Post Standard. Please be advised that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and face masks will be required to attend the funeral Mass. You will need to sign in due to NYS contact tracing requirements and there may be capacity limitations.