Gaetana Marie (Porto) Rizzuti, known to most as “Gae,” passed away July 30 at her home in Middletown, surrounded by her three children. Gaetana was born Aug. 1, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York to Josephine (Pumpio) and Pasquale Porto.
On May 31, 1958, she married the love of her life, Mario Alfred Rizzuti. They lived in New York until 1977 when they moved their family to Raleigh, North Carolina. Gae and Mario entered retirement in 1990 and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where they enjoyed golfing and traveled extensively. For the past 19 years, Gae was a resident of New Jersey.
She was preceded by her husband, parents and brother Vincent.
A devoted mother who believed “family was everything,” Gae is survived by: her daughter Marion Rizzuti; son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Elena Rizzuti; and daughter and significant other, Ellen Castellane and Bernard Uhlfelder.
She is also survived and adored her grandchildren: Nicole and her husband Cody Bello; Brielle and her fiancé Jon Corbacio; and Mario and his girlfriend Alex Monda; and her great-grandchild Leo Bello. Gae is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Clara Porto. She was wonderfully cared for by Emilia (Anna) Mapelli for 11 years.
Described by her granddaughter as “spunky,” Gae loved life, treasured her lifelong friends and was a devoted Catholic. She was an avid reader and especially enjoyed her trips to Atlantic City with her friends and family.
Visitation was Aug. 3 at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 4 at St. James RC Church, Red Bank.
The article originally appeared in the August 6 – 12, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
