Rita Ellis Wolff

Rita Ellis Wolff, age 90, died peacefully on the morning of October 3, 2024. Rita was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, on June 11, 1934 to William Jennings and Elsie Madeleine Ellis. She was the youngest of seven children and relished her relationships with her siblings throughout her life. 

In recent years, a weekly highlight was a lively Facetime conversation with her older brother, Bernard, across the pond. They reminisced, barked at one another about which way to hold the ipad, reported on the weather (always too rainy in England), and swapped feats of their shared longevity. Rainy, but eternally romantic, her English heritage was knitted into the center of Rita's heart. From sausage rolls and mince tarts at Christmas to kilts and bagpipe music, and an unwavering fidelity to the Royal Family, Rita was shaped by her British upbringing. She eagerly shared stories of wartime England and memories peppered by gas masks, rations, and solidarity with countrymen. Still, the siren song of America called to Rita throughout her youth and 1959 found her sailing on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, to begin a new life far from home.

Rita married her first husband, Robert (Bob) Foggan, in 1959 and they soon were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church and her resolute faith were the nucleus of Rita's life. After Bob's unexpected death in 1963, Rita served as a part time missionary for the church in Cincinnati, finding purpose, joy, and fellowship in the work of teaching people about Jesus Christ. Forty and fifty years after her ministry, she still had people reaching out to her to share how her service had enriched their life. She continued to serve in various church capacities throughout her life and subsequent marriage to her companion, Darrell Wolff, whom she married in Cincinnati in 1969. In 1973 they adopted their only child, Tricia. 

From a young age, Rita was an athlete. The brittle black and white photos of her youth feature a girl with long, blonde braids atop her favorite horse, uniformed and ready to play sports with her classmates, and impeccably dressed in the latest fashions for an evening of dancing. She loved animals, often more than humans, and would stop traffic to make sure a mama duck and her train of ducklings had safe passage across a road. Tricia remembers many a shoebox repurposed as a recovery bed, a small scrap of towel lining the bottom, for the many birds who unwittingly mistook large windows in the Wolff's woodland home for safe airspace. Rita adored being immersed in nature. She worked hard in word and deed until her death to preserve the conservation mission and natural habitat of the extraordinary community known as The Hermitage Club where she lived.

Rita will be remembered by friends and neighbors for her kindness. During her last days on earth, she worried that her neighbor Bill should inherit her beloved English chocolate bars, that her friend Kate, who loves Scotland, should have her Scottish jewelry, and that her grandchildren would know her greatest anxiety for them was that they loved each other throughout their mortal sojourn. Rita is survived by her husband, Darrell, her daughter Tricia (Scott Galer), and her five grandchildren, Madison, Harry, Elliott, Owen, and David, as well as her brother Bernard Ellis, and many English nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her sweet dog, Tamah, the last of the many collies she nurtured during her lifetime. 

Her funeral will be held on Thursday, October 10, 2024. The viewing will take place from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, followed by a service at 11:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 700 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio. Interment will follow at 12:30 PM at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Montgomery, Ohio. 

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the compassionate nurses and aides who cared for her during her final weeks. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cincinnati Zoo or the Cincinnati SPCA.