Rita Miriam Holland, 90, of Ballwin, Missouri, passed away peacefully on November the 16th, 2025 at her home.

Rita was born on May 18th, 1935, at home in Dayton, OH to Italian immigrants Benedict and Rita Zella. She was the third of seven children, and would help to raise her youngest siblings, and after her parents died in her early 20s, she would take on additional responsibilities related to those siblings ages 11, and 7. She was a devout Catholic, and would go on to study to become a nun after high school but would ultimately leave the convent and pursue nursing. She would go on to become a RN, and would work in multiple settings including psychiatric, and acute care. Rita obtained a master's degree from SLU and would go on to teach nursing at Forrest Park Community College. Rita would meet her husband Frank at a party, and they were married on December 18th, 1971. After suffering two miscarriages they finally had a child in June of 1976, named Brian Charles.

Rita will be remembered for her kindness, and dedication to her family. She survived breast cancer. She volunteered as to tutor local elementary school children, and served as a Steven minister.

She is survived by her husband Frank, son Brian, daughter in law Keisha, and grandsons: Nathan and Dominic, as well as her sister Joan Davis, brother Ben Zella, and sister Anna Marie Zella. She was preceded in death by her older sister Mary, younger sister Lucy, as well as younger brother Vito.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to all our friends and family that have offered prayers and encouragement in recent weeks.

Funeral Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 567 St. Joseph Lane, Manchester, Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association of greater Missouri http://www.alz.org/greatermissouri . Visitation at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Wednesday, December 10, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. Friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.