Obituary of Rita Ann Muldoon

Rita Muldoon (nee Benkovich), 75, passed away peacefully on July 9, 2024, at Westwind Manor, Franklin, NJ, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s/Dementia. She was born in Elizabeth, NJ, and resided in Florham Park for 48 years.

Rita graduated from Linden High School and received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Newark State College (now Kean University) in 1971. In both high school and college, she enjoyed being a member of the cheerleading teams. In college, she was a member of the Omega Sigma Psi Sorority. Upon graduation, she worked as an elementary education teacher for the East Orange Public Schools.

Rita ran a successful in-home daycare for 40 years to be able to stay home and care for her daughters. In 2020, COVID caused the shutdown of the daycare, and she chose to retire.  She was a member of Holy Family Church, Florham Park, worked for many years on the Florham Park July 4^th Committee and served as President of the Florham Park Board of Education.

She is survived by her devoted daughters, Melissa Towey, and her husband, Martin, Sparta, NJ, and Kathryn (Katie) Dunne, and her husband, Kenneth, Ogdensburg, NJ. She is also survived by her dear sister, MaryEllen Benkovich; her cherished granddaughters, Lucy Towey, Holly Dunne, Ryan Dunne, and Fallyn Dunne, as well as many other relatives and friends.

She was predeceased by her husband, Joseph Muldoon, in 1990. She was also predeceased by her parents, Michael Edward Benkovich and Stella Margaret Benkovich (nee Pikula), and her brothers, John “Jack” Benkovich and Michael Benkovich.

Family and friends are welcome to gather on Sunday, July 14, 2024, from 2-5pm at Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, 106 Main St., Madison, NJ 07940. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, July 15, 2024, at 10:00am at St. Vincent Martyr Church, 26 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ  07940. Interment will follow at St. Vincent Cemetery, Madison, NJ,

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations may be made in Rita’s memory to the Shetland Sheepdog Placement Services of NJ (SSPSNJ), 107 Broad St., Suite 694, Hainesport, NJ 08036 (www.njsheltierescue.org.)