Rita Louise (Guzzi) Formisano

Rita Louise (Guzzi) Formisano passed away peacefully on April 13, 2024, after a long life filled with beauty, art, travel, music, laughter, and love. She was 95. She will be greatly missed and warmly remembered.

Rita was born to John and Emily Guzzi in Newton, Massachusetts, on January 27, 1929. John and his brothers owned and ran a grocery store, butcher shop and wine shop, and Rita happily joined her father in making deliveries and helping out. We imagine that while working in those stores Rita developed her wonderful ability to read people and forge happy ties. Rita continued to enjoy her Massachusetts family, friends and Red Sox even after her love-filled marriage to Alexander Formisano took her to New Jersey and Illinois before settling in Weston, Connecticut.

She enjoyed being with her family, working in her garden, and cooking. She is known by family as the Chicken Queen of Connecticut since she won the National Chicken Cooking Contest for the state in 1981. The winning dish was Chicken Pesto and was just one of many dishes that she enjoyed making. We fondly remember making fresh ravioli and cannelloni with her, and those dishes will keep her in our hearts and stomachs forever. And her molasses cookies were the bomb.

With her family and friends, she was always supportive, generous, willing and available. She was and is truly loved by all who knew her.

Rita made a life of art. She attended Massachusetts College of Art and was an apprentice to the artist Stanley Woodward, working with him in his Rockport, Massachusetts studio. She and Al honeymooned in Rockport, and our family enjoyed many summers there. She was an art director for Dennison Manufacturing where she was known for her mastery of gift wrapping and crafting crepe-paper flowers. Her own art is what made her happy for much of her life. Painting oil landscapes or watercolor flowers and birds and portraits was her passion. She was a member of the Rockport Art Association, the Westport Art Center, the Society of Creative Arts Newtown, and served on the Weston Commission for the Arts.

She is survived by her daughters, Andrea McGillicuddy (Brian) of Mashpee, MA, Cara Formisano (Michael Manes) of Newtown, CT, and Regina Kanter (Peter) of Westport, CT; her grandchildren, Marco Manes, Adam Manes, Siri Kanter, Merel Kanter, Sara Carnavale (Phil), Amy McGillicuddy, and Brian McGillicuddy; and three great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband Al, her sisters Emily Albano and Erleen Bryson, and her brother Larry Guzzi.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association. A celebration of Rita’s life and art (and maybe her molasses cookies) is being planned.

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