Rita Schillaci

SCHILLACI, RITA (Podlesinska) - Of Amherst, NY entered into rest on September 21, 2024. Devoted wife of the late Salvatore J. Schillaci; beloved mother of Carol (Bruce) Bronnenkant, Andrea (William Altreuter) Schillaci, Claudia (Scott) Thomas and Grace (James) Szakacs; pre-deceased by her parents the late Anna (nee Huchnowska) and Andrew Podlesinski and her brothers and sisters- Helen (Frank) Janas, Matthew (Frances) Hodala, Celia (Edward) Serwicki, Casimer Podlesinski and Alfreda (Raymond) Nadel. Loving grandmother to Emily (Fan Zhang) Carlin, Sara (Richard Smith) Bronnenkant Smith, Alex (Ceren Karabrahimoglu) Bronnenkant, Caroline (Jared) Kneebone, Aster (Emma) Hathaway, Katherine (Austin) Zittel and Andrew Thomas; Great grandmother to Hugo Smith, Zoe and Henry Zhang, Theo and Eliza Kneebone. Rita was a lifetime member of the Rosary Altar Society of St. Benedict Church, where she served on the Sunshine Committee. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Graycliff Estate in Derby, NY and the Theodore Roosevelt Historic Site. She supported numerous local charitable causes and was also a longstanding donor to Native American educational and veterans' organizations. The family will be present at Lombardo Funeral Home (Snyder Chapel) 4614 Main St. (Near Harlem) Snyder on Thursday from 3:00 - 7:00 PM. Please assemble at the Forest Lawn Memorial Chapel on Buffalo on Friday morning at 9:00 o'clock for the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Native American Veterans Assistance (NAVA) at nativevets.org Services Cemetery Forest Lawn Cemetery 1411 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209