Rita Lega Dulak

Rita M. Lega Dulak

August 3, 1933 – May 21, 2024

Passed away peacefully surrounded by her daughters on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at age 90.

Daughter of the late Walter and Estelle (Konieczny) Lega, Rita and her brother Eugene grew up surrounded by a large, extended family including her grandmother, Stella, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Rita attended SS. Cyril & Methodius grade school and was a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy, Class of 1951, where she made lifelong friends. She met her husband, Glenn, at a family party. Their first date was the 1952 UW Homecoming Game in Madison and they were married in August 1953. They raised three daughters together prior to his death in 1968. The family joined Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in 1961 where Rita remained a member, serving as a lay reader and communion distributor.

Rita worked for fifty years. She loved numbers and bookkeeping and was a dedicated employee of Our Lady of Lourdes, Anderson Graphics and Stan’s Fit For Your Feet, a family business where she spent twenty-four years before retiring at age eighty-five.

She was a perfectionist in everything. Rita was an expert seamstress, making clothing for everyday and special occasions—for herself and her family—from miniskirts and tailored pants to prom gowns and stage costumes. She was an avid knitter and, since retiring in 2020, made more than seven hundred caps, scarves and blankets for family members, homeless veterans and children’s programs. She wanted everyone to be warm. She was an outstanding cook and baker. Her pies and cakes, especially cheesecakes, were not only delicious, but pretty enough to be photographed. She was a film buff with fond memories of early childhood afternoons at the theater, as well as curling up on the sofa with her grandchildren to watch a favorite video. She was a competitive game player, including Scrabble and cribbage.

Rita’s greatest joy and love was being with family: daughters Linda (Pete) Chadwick, Susan (Jim) Sajdak, and Sharon (Dan) Schmid; grandchildren, Samantha Chadwick (Mike), Alex Chadwick (Rena), Andy Sajdak (Natalie Ford), David Sajdak (Vesper Williams), Megan (Tom) Holtan, Ben Sajdak (Paula Miller), Katherine (Ryan) Brown, and Becca Schmid; and great-grandchildren, Amelia, Dax, John, William, Kareem, Nora, Maeve, Quinn and Gemma.

In her later years, Rita would often sit back at family gatherings to listen to our voices and laughter. She was always mentally sharp and had exceptional recall. She enjoyed her final day offering words of wisdom and life advice to family members and friends. She was strong, had great faith, and went out on her own terms, saying, “This was just the best day.”

We would like to give special thanks to the medical and hospice teams at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, especially the nurses on the second floor for their extraordinary care.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 3722 South 58 Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial to follow. Private interment at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider an online contribution to the Improvement Fund at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Father Gene’s Help Center (https://www.fathergeneshelp.org/) or the Froedtert Foundation (https://www.froedtert.com/giving/foundation).