Rita T. Whalen, 92, of Deland, passed away on Thursday, May 3, 2018.  A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, May 25, 2018 at 10:00a.m. at St. Peters Catholic Church in Deland. She was born on November 7, 1925 in Buffalo, NY to Michael and Mary Cusimano.  She graduated from D'Youville College in 1947 with a BS in Commerce.  She married Gilbert Welby Whalen on June 12, 1948.  He was deceased on January 31, 2001.  Rita remained a domestic engineer until 1966 when she became employed as a caseworker for the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services.  She retired in 1983 and relocated to the Hidden Valley Mobile Home Park with her husband who trained trotters and pacers at the Spring Garden Ranch.  She resumed her role as domestic engineer and joined the Women's Club.  Rita was a semi professional pianist and a founder of a Kitchen Band.  She entertained at nursing homes, yacht clubs and the Hidden Valley Mobile Home Park social events, The Women's Club and the Widow's Club.  Rita was an avid bridge player and enjoyed St. Peters Bible Studies and loved traveling to Grenoble France to visit grandchildren.  She was a member of Deland Women's Club, AWP Widow's Club, Northern New York Chapter of the D'Youville College Alumni Association.  She is survived by Rita (James) Marie Farrell, Mary (Michel) Jane Villot, Gilbert (Jacqueline) Michael Whalen, Greta Lynn (wired hair fox terrier); four grandchildren Nicholas J Whalen, Marc Villot, Eric Villot and Lo-An Villot.  Please share a memory with the family through our on line guest book at www.lohmanfuneralhome.com