Rita Cappelletti Jung

Beloved Wife, Mother, Nonna, Sister and Aunt, Rita Cappelletti Jung, age 69, of Orlando, Florida, passed away on Friday, May 9th, 2025.

Rita was born on December 30th, 1955, the daughter of Giuseppe and Augusta (Campo) Cappelletti. She idolized her father, a World War II veteran of the Italian Army, who was a member of their region’s Carabinieri (Para-Military Police) and a strict disciplinarian. In her mother, she saw a woman lovingly dedicated to feeding, clothing, hand-washing, ironing and tending to nine children. The family lived in a modest apartment along the Isarco River, nestled in the beautiful mountain village of Chiusa, Italy. Rita played and grew-up through hot summers and cold Alpen winters, heated only by the kitchen’s wood burning cooking stove. Their family lived on modest military pay, and augmented their meals with home-grown vegetables from their grandfather’s terraced farmland in Ciago, a few mountains over. Rita also helped her father skin rabbits to put meat on the table. In Chiusa, everyone knew everyone, families spoke Italian and Austrian or “Sud Tyroler”, as the village cared for everyone within it.

This beautiful life changed dramatically when an American Soldier, all the way from New York, strolled into the town’s “Bier Fest” and awkwardly attempted to engage her in a conversation using an Italian-English, Berlitz, Travel Guidebook. “Good day, I am Richard, may I sit? When are you free?” Rita, not understanding English, responded with, “Si . . . MAI” (Yes . . . NEVER). That rebuff eventually softened and on the 8th of May, 1976, she married Richard Gerald Jung, Sr.

During Richard’s 36-year military career, Rita pretty much single-handedly raised four wonderful children: Ricky, Alex, Stephen and Jessica, as Richard’s Army duties during the Cold War, frequently separated him from his family. Rita learned to speak English watching her "Soaps," managed the checkbook, and packed and unpacked their home every 2 or 3 years, relocating and converting each new assignment into HOME. She scrimped every penny, cooked dishes from scratch, fed three squares a day, drove everywhere, washed tons of clothes, sewed repairs, hosted birthday parties, disciplined sternly (and often), walked the kids to school, assisted in their classrooms, day-tripped to museums, supported school sport events and bandaged “ouchies.” She put three kids through college and one through West Point, dined at military balls, cared, fed and sponsored cadets at West Point’s military academy, and volunteered on the installations. In 1998, Ft. Riley recognied Rita as "Volunteer of the Year," highlighting her unmatched willingness to help others. Rita mentored, supported, and consoled Soldiers’ wives and families when their husbands deployed afar with Richard, led countless charitable organizations supporting the military, prepared (cooked for and cleaned) hundreds of unit and promotion parties at her home. She attended official military and government functions, did Italian-English translations, and prayed for her three sons and one husband, all Soldiers, when they deployed to wars. Rita drank with the ladies, sternly and lovingly raised her teenage (mini-me) daughter, exercise-walked for miles, did home repairs, and drove everyone everywhere. Rita met, befriended, and personally connected to THOUSANDS of others from all over the globe. Oh, and in her spare time, she took college computer classes.

Forty-nine years later (plus one day) after their wedding, this beloved Wife, Mother, Nonna, Sister and Aunt was called home to our Lord, still reveling in the love and admiration of 13 beautiful, happy, healthy grandchildren ranging from 25-years to two-weeks old: Serena, Rhylee, Emmit, Martin, Savannah, Sofia, Eleanor, Jacob, Zachary, Annalise, Charlotte, Catherine, and WELCOME – Olivia. Rita especially enjoyed cooking for her grandchildren, often their favorite dish, “buttered noo-noos”. Rita always lived life to the fullest, lovingly connecting with everyone and giving every ounce of her energy to enjoying life on her terms – and she did.

Those closest to her carry on without her dynamic persona but have a wealth of love and inspiration: husband, Richard Gerald Jung, Sr.; son, Richard Gerald Jung, Jr. and his wife, Krista; son, Alexis Charles Jung and his wife, Jordan; son, Stephen Michael Jung; daughter, Jessica Sabrina Rocco and her husband, Jaden. In Italy, her sister, Maria Canossi and her husband, Franco; brother, Rodolfo Cappelletti and his wife, Claudia; bother Giampaolo Cappelletti and his wife, Gabriella; brother Roberto Cappelletti and his wife, Renata; brother; Fulvio Cappelletti and his wife, Erika; brother Franco Cappelletti and his wife, Giovanna; sister-in-law, Rita Cappelletti.

Preceding Rita into God’s arms were her parents (Giuseppe and Augusta), two brothers, Angelo Cappelletti and Silvio Cappelletti, and Silvio’s wife, Anna.

On the 19th of May, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM there will be a visitation at Newcomer Funeral Home – East Orlando Chapel, 895 S. Goldenrod Rd, Orlando. The prayers and eulogies will begin at approximately 6:00 PM.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on the 20th of May at 10:00 AM at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 1501 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando.

Following the Mass of Christian Burial, there will be a Reception & Celebration of Life at the Orlando Venetian Ballroom, 10685 E Colonial Drive, Orlando FL 32817 from 12:00PM to 4:00 PM.

Interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

To share your memories of Rita, or leave a special condolence message for her family, please visit and sign the guestbook below.