Rita Pomponio Holt, known to her grandchildren as Goomie, undoubtedly surprised St. Peter by showing up early for once. Rita was born in Philadelphia, and as the oldest of five children, she developed a fondness for chaos and company early on. Her maternal streak emerged at a young age as she doted on (and bossed around) her younger siblings. A book lover and an exceptional student, Rita excelled in literature and English, as well as foreign language. In Tennessee, she earned a degree in language arts and a minor in Spanish, and lived abroad in Spain for a semester. Once she returned home, she fell in love with her best friend's brother. They married and eventually moved to Tampa, where she remained for the rest of her life.

Rita worked as a teacher and media specialist for many years. As a media specialist, she went the extra mile to instill a love of reading, whether that meant dressing up as Ms. Frizzle, calling on her dramatic side to voice characters during story time, or offering prizes for memorizing poems. A lifelong learner, she completed her PhD while working and raising a family, then went on to teach high school English. Though many students who came through her doors had been failed by the system, she believed every student deserved an education and a chance to thrive - she loved proving that her students could succeed if they were given the encouragement and instruction in a manner catered to their learning style. Her diligence earned accolades from students and peers throughout her career.

Her passion didn't end with her work. Rita took pride in her Italian cooking and adored hosting family meals, though she delegated the task of stirring the long-simmering sauce to her children. Rita loved parties. While she would arrive fashionably late, she was always the last to leave, lest she miss out on a good story, or an even better glass of wine. Rita loved to laugh, and her dry sense of humor and propensity for puns inspired giggles (and groans). She held any number of impassioned opinions, including the value of holistic health. "Don't panic, it's organic" was oft-repeated kitchen banter, though her devotion to organic food was flexible when a delicious, non-organic option presented itself.

However, one passion stood above all others for Rita, and that was her family. She raised five children, showing them love, strength of character, and how to play double-deck pinochle. Rita also adopted many unofficial children throughout the years: her door was always open to anyone who needed it. While five children might sound like a lot to some, it wasn't unusual for two or three times that many to be under her roof. Once her children grew up, she didn't have to wait long before welcoming grandchildren, and embracing her new role of grandmother. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her grandchildren, whether that meant reading with them, throwing them a birthday party, or attending one of their endless sporting or school events. In honor of Rita try to tell yourself "don't worry, be happy" - life is too short, drink the good wine.

She is preceded in death by her father, Nicholas, and her son, Brian. She is survived by her husband Eugene, her children Heidi(Michael), Vanessa (Ahmet), Natalie (Jason), Lisa (Jaron), her mother Alice, her siblings Nicholas (Mari), Marcia (Scott), Mark (Lori) and Carla (Rob) along with her grandchildren Dominic, Julia, Logan, Gabby, Ava, Ryan, Claire, Henry and Emily.