Rita J. Clifford

Rita J. Clifford, 95, of Dover - beloved wife, mother and grandmother - passed away Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2019.

Born November 12, 1924, in Dover, she was a daughter of the late Anthony and Mary Young Jerome. Those who knew and loved Rita were impressed by her gentle nature, her love of family and her long-lasting friendships. She married Miles W. Clifford on July 20, 1953, and the couple shared 54 years of marriage prior to Miles’ passing on June 16, 2007. They were proud parents of William (Sharon) Clifford of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Debra Ann Clifford of Rossford. Rita was a devoted member of Dover’s St. Joseph Church, and the Dover V.F.W. Auxiliary. She was employed by Perma Glas Mesh, Dover, for nearly 20 years.

In addition to her children, William and Debra Ann, Rita is survived by her grandsons, Alex (Germani) Clifford of Alhambra, California, and Zach (Ella) Clifford of Lakewood, as well as her nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents and her husband, Miles, Rita was preceded in death by her siblings, Mary Margaret Jerome, Ann Arguso, Rose Miceli Lahmers, Louise Ross, Teresa Wright, Leonard, Pat and John Jerome.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, December 31, at 11 a.m., in St. Joseph Church, with Fr. Jimmy Hatfield officiating. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Calvary Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to call at the church on Tuesday, 10 - 11 a.m. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Rita, please visit the Obituaries link on the Toland-Herzig website.

The family is very grateful for the friendship, support and care extended by the professional staff of Park Village Health Care Center - Thank You So Much. Also, many thanks for the loving care and friendship of Sandy Taylor.

Instead of flowers, donations in Rita’s memory are suggested to St. Joseph Church or the American Cancer Society.