Rita Pesino

A beloved grandmother, dedicated mother, dependable sister, responsible daughter, thoughtful cousin, generous friend, and devoted wife, Rita Guzman Pesino, was granted entrance into Heaven with our Lord, Jesus Christ, just before dawn on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

She was born on April 1, 1949, in Isabella Province, Luzon, Philippines. Her name was originally Rio Rita but would later be known as, Rita, Auntie Rita, and later Mama Rita. She was the daughter of Josepha and Placido Guzman. She is one of seven very talented and gifted siblings. She loved all her siblings. As a young girl she loved to swim all the time and had fond memories of her childhood growing up in Isabella. She spoke three Filipino dialects and German. She would be quick to speak her native language if she met anyone who was able to do the same. She admired her mother very much and was actually her campaign manager when her mother ran for Mayor of Isabella.

She was a kind and generous woman. She was adored by many for her wonderful smile, great sense of humor, her amazing energy when entering a room, and was popularly described by her friends as “the life of the party”. Her magnetic personality made anyone around her feel comfortable and welcome. She was a fabulous host and always hospitable in any environment. Always thinking of her four children as she was truly a dedicated mother. Always wanting to provide the best for them. Always doing her best to be present in their lives in every way.

Rita married at the age of 28 to Rolando G. Pesino, a sharp Mechanical Engineer that served in the US Navy from Guadalupe, Philippines on September 1975. From the Philippines, she arrived to the US the following year and they began there lives in San Francisco, California. She would have her first child, Rowena, later that November. Rolando and Rita wanted to raise their family in a small town. Thus, they decided to move to Vallejo, California. She would later have three more children, Rio, Raymond, and Rozanna. She would set roots in Vallejo as she embraced being a mother of four and becoming an involved parent participating in as many activities as she could. Interestingly, she eventually ran her small business carpooling children from all the catholic schools in town, picking up numerous kids from St. Vincent's, St. Basil's, and St. Catherine's in her brown Family Wagon Van. Many children had many fond memories carpooling with her.

She would work a few jobs until finally feeling comfortable as a Respiratory Technician at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Vallejo for 15 years. During that time, she also was a successful Loan Officer and Real Estate Investor. Her hard work and gifted social skills contributed most to her success. She made many wonderful friends at Kaiser. Fortunately, most would remain long time friends with her into her retirement years. She retired from Kaiser in the Spring of 2010.

After some deep thought, Rita took a leap of faith and decided to spend those retirement years in the Philippines to open her own business. She ultimately decided to follow her passion of singing and hosting by opening up a Family Karaoke business called Studio Five KTV. The "five" were her 4 children and her dearly departed husband, Rolando. She spent 5 years running the business with her son, Raymond, in Commonwealth, Quezon City, Philippines. It became so successful, they had planned to open a second location. She finally fulfilled her dream of owning a business.

Rita certainly lived a beautiful, happy, and fullfilling life. She has four adorable and bright grandchildren, Jaiden, Jacob, Quintessa, and Marseille. She traveled the world with her husband, friends, and family to Europe, Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean, and all over the US. She loved taking selfies and posting them on Facebook. She loved to laugh with her best friend, Gloria. She enjoyed life to the fullest, always smiling, always laughing. Dancing and singing were her passions. Shopping, she mostly shopped for others. Her favorite singing group were The Beatles and her favorite song was John Lennon's "Imagine". She loved animal print patterns and was a fancy lady that loved her jewelry. She was a great cook, hosted great parties, and was always a "go getter". She will be missed and will forever be an angel to all of us that were fortunate to know her. May she rest in peace with all our departed loved ones.

Our dearest Rio Rita, you're finally free and we all know you are smiling, laughing, singing, and dancing in Heaven. Keep on dancing, Mom, you deserve all the peace and happiness your heart can hold. May the Perpetual Light shine upon you. We love you and we will all miss you, tremendously.