Rita Vergara

Born to Rafael Ornelas, Sr. and Amparo Ornelas on March 17, 1937, Rita Vergara passed away peacefully on November 9, 2021.

A native San Franciscan, Rita Ornelas attended St. Charles Grammar School and graduated from Mission High School in 1955. It was at Mission that Rita met her future husband, Sal Vergara. The only trouble she got into at Mission was in typing class, when instead of doing the lesson, Rita would type notes to Sal and pass them to him on the other side of the room. The two married on November 17, 1956; although they divorced in 1990 after 34 years of marriage, Rita and Sal remained friends. Their son Robert was born in 1958 and their daughter Vanessa in 1960.

After working briefly as a secretary at M. Greenberg’s Sons, the San Francisco foundry that had its roots in the Gold Rush and where her father worked for many years, Rita became a full-time homemaker. That home was always beautiful and full of life — and pets. Family and friends were always welcome there. Rita continued her hospitality after she relocated to Sonoma County, where she lived the last two decades of her life.

She loved her family very much and we loved her even more. No one had a better mother.

We are grateful to the wonderful people of Sutter Care at Home Hospice, who took such good care of our mom in her final months.

A Mass in celebration of Rita’s life will be held on Saturday, December 4, at 1:30 p.m. at Star of the Valley Catholic Church, 545 White Oak Drive, Santa Rosa. Masks are required. Reception to follow at Rita’s house. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a hospice in your area.