Rita Susan Deflorville

Rita Susan DeFlorville

Milford, Ohio

October 8, 1950 - November 28, 2022

Rita Susan DeFlorville, 72, left the world behind, at her home, sitting in her favorite leather chair, on Monday, November 28, 2022. She was fiercely independent to the end.

Rita, a resident of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, was born October 8, 1950 in Richmond, Kentucky to Cora Rawlins DeFlorville and William Joseph DeFlorville. During her early years, she spent half her time in Cincinnati, Ohio and the other half in Florida where her father was involved with horses and race tracks, an influence which inspired her own love of horses. One of the highlights of her life was visiting Lane’s End Stables in Versailles, Kentucky to see its most famous racehorse, Zenyatta, a champion thoroughbred who was named 2010’s American Horse of the Year.

Rita’s parents separated when she was a little girl and her father disappeared from her life a few years later, so she was forced to grow up quickly, caring for her mother, who, in later years, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. As a result, Rita became an outspoken advocate for quality eldercare in nursing homes.

After graduating in 1968 from Marian High School (now Purcell Marian) in Cincinnati, Rita went to work for the Cincinnati Board of Education. She retired from the Board, then started a second career working at the University of Cincinnati, before retiring a second time.

She was a bargain-hunting shopaholic when it came to antiques and anything with a fleur-de-lis on it (a symbol of her French ancestry). Her home was full of both. A foodie, she was an exceptional chef and enjoyed cooking for her friends. She loved rock and roll, especially the group Paul Revere and the Raiders, and for many years traveled around the country to attend their concerts. She was close friends with Keith Allison, a singer and guitarist in the band, until his death in 2021.

Though Rita never had children of her own, she was a mother figure to her friends’ children who had lost their own mothers. Rita leaves behind her beloved cat, Suessi, and her small circle of friends, who will miss her quick wit, sarcasm and humor.