Margaret M Rizzi was born on April 20, 1926, to William Minnetto and Antoinette Minnetto in Wappingers Falls, New York where she grew up. She was the 2nd youngest of eight siblings. She was wrapped in the arms of Jesus her Lord & Savior, at the end of this life on December 30, 2021 at 10:30 PM. Her name means Precious Pearl and that she was.
Margaret met her late husband Vincent V. Rizzi while working as a singing hat-check girl at the age of twenty-two. Together they had 4 children: Mark, Vincent, Rosemarie and Mary. She achieved her cosmetology license in the 1940’s and later owned and operated Margie’s Beauty shop.
Margaret became a well-known singer throughout the Hudson Valley in the late 1950’s, 60’s & 70’s. Her singing was featured in musicals, with the Lafalce Brothers Orchestra out of Poughkeepsie, New York, with the Golden Tones Band for the Convention Queen Contest in June of 1965, in Highland New York, with The Doug Pierson Trio and at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.
In 1976 Margaret became a born-again Christian who served Jesus Christ with her whole heart for 45 years. She was water baptized in 1979 at Faith Assembly of God, in Poughkeepsie, New York and sang in their choir. Margaret obtained multiple Certificates of Achievement for her Biblical studies in numerous books of the Bible, for outstanding service, and for being a part of the dance ministry at John 3:16 Christian Center, in Verbank, New York.
Margaret was such a go-getter she became a Shaklee Distributor and rose to Key Coordinator in no time and shared good health with 100’s of people. On March 29, 1978, she was honored for her outstanding sales in the Shaklee Corporation, winning a trip to San Francisco, California as well as being awarded twice with new cars for her sales achievements throughout the years.
In 1994 Margaret won Editor’s Choice Award, for outstanding achievement in Poetry for her poem “At Day’s End.”
In 2001 Margaret was presented with a certificate of appreciation for her ministry and dedication to incarcerated youth at the Highland Residential Center in Highland, New York.
She is the Author of Simon the Square, a Christian children’s book published through Ambassadors Press and left behind an unfinished manuscript that documents her life of miracles, signs and wonders.
Margaret was so filled with energy and passionate for life and her family that she dedicated hours to prayer, the study of God’s Word and praying for the sick, only to see many people miraculously healed from terminal illnesses as well as herself.
If you met Margaret, you would say she was one of the most amazing women of faith you had ever met. In fact she was affectionately known to all her friends as “a Mighty Warrior in the Faith.” Her words were always “If God said it in His Word, I believe it.”
Margaret was the last of the Minnetto siblings. She was predeceased by her brothers Joseph, Frank, and William and her sisters Mary, Grace, Anna and Susan. She is survived by 2 sons Mark, his wife Michele, Vincent Jr. his wife Eva, two daughters Rosemarie, and Mary and her husband AJ Adkins. She is also survived by her grandchildren Vincent Paul Rizzi, his wife Lauren, Renee Rizzi-Heminway, her husband Christopher Heminway, Andrew Miller and many other nieces, nephews, and hundreds of friends that she was fond of. We’ll never forget this amazing, kind, caring and loving woman. She is singing with the angels now!
Proverbs 31:30-31 Charm is deceptive; beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is greatly to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her own works praise her in the gates.
For correspondence: “The Rizzi Family” at PO Box 2187 or emailed to Roseym22@icloud.com
Professional arrangements by the Michael Torsone Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 38 Main St. Highland, NY 12528.