Rita Mary (Sokolowski) Baccarella, 81, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Stillwater Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, following a valiant three-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Born on May 7, 1945, Rita was a proud native of Bayonne, New Jersey. She grew up in the city, attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grammar School and graduating from Bayonne High School. It was in Bayonne where she married, “Tommy” the love of her life, raised her family, and built a lifetime of memories. In 2012, Rita and her husband retired "down the shore" to Holiday City South in Toms River until 2024, when they relocated to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to be closer to their daughter.
Rita spent her professional career keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. She worked as the office manager for Gotham Distribution, first in Bayonne and later in Keasbey. Before her retirement, she served as a payroll assistant for Etienne & Aigner in Edison, New Jersey.
Outside of work, Rita’s vibrant spirit shone through her many hobbies and deep love for her family and community. An avid bowler, she spent many happy years on the lanes with the Mount Carmel Lyceum Women’s Bowling League. She loved shopping with her daughter and girlfriends, with a special fondness for her beloved Christmas Tree Shop. Rita possessed a remarkable mind and a genuine interest in people; she remembered everyone she ever met and maintained decades-long friendships. If she knew you, she not only knew your story, but your entire family tree and history. Her heart never truly left her hometown, and even after moving to Toms River, she diligently kept up with all the daily Bayonne news.
Rita was perhaps best known for her hospitality. To eat her cooking or baking was to know you were truly loved. For more than 25 years, her Bayonne home was the joyful center of the family's Christmas Eve celebrations. She was the ultimate supporter of her children and grandchildren, never missing a milestone. From college and bootcamp graduations to countless soccer and football games, Rita was always present cheering on her children and grandchildren. She loved taking her grandson Cory on trips to California, Florida, and regular Jersey shore getaways when he was younger. Her adventures even took her across the globe to Japan to visit her daughter and son-in-law during who were stationed there. Fittingly, her final big trip was to Savannah, Georgia, in 2023 to witness her grandson Cory’s wedding—an event she wouldn't have missed for the world.
Rita’s greatest legacy is her family. She is survived by Thomas “Tommy” Baccarella her beloved husband of 57 years, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; her daughter, Michele Predko, and son-in-law, Theodore, of Fort Wayne; and her son, David Baccarella, and daughter-in-law, Maureen, of Manahawkin, New Jersey. She was the incredibly proud grandmother to her eldest grandson and "pride and joy," Cory Baccarella, and his wife, Taylor; and great-grandmother to Olivia May Baccarella. She also leaves behind her brother, Thomas Sokolowski of St. Michael, Minnesota; step-granddaughter, Danielle Sullivan, and two other grandchildren, Chance Baccarella and Leah Baccarella. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Mary (Kuchinski) Sokolowski; her sister, Eleanor Clarke; and her brother, Stanley Sokolowski.
A funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 39 E 22nd St, Bayonne, New Jersey, Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 10:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Rita’s memory to Stillwater Foundation of Fort Wayne, 5920 Homestead Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46814, (Stillwater-hospice.org/donate) in honor of the excellent care they provided to Rita over the last six months, but especially during the last week of her life. FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services is handling arrangements.