Rina Zizzamia, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on August 20th at the age of 96.

She was born on June 14, 1930, in Saint-André, New Brunswick, Canada, where she was raised in a loving family as one of ten children to Edward and Pauline Poitras. She grew up on a working farm, where family, hard work, and simple joys were an important part of her early life.

It was during her younger years that she met Anthony, who was stationed in Maine. Their meeting began a lifelong love story. Anthony was the love of her life, and together they shared 67 years of marriage, building a family and a home filled with love and devotion.

After leaving Canada, they briefly settled in Camden, New Jersey, before making their home in Haddon Township, where they raised their family. They were deeply devoted to their Catholic faith and were very active in their church community.

She devoted her life to her family as a homemaker and took great pride in caring for the people she loved. She was funny, a little feisty, and had a wonderful way of making people feel at home.

She especially loved to cook, and making sure everyone was fed. It was one of the ways she showed her love. Anyone who walked through her front door knew what was coming next: she was going to offer you something to eat - whether you were hungry or not. Feeding the people she loved was simply her way of saying, “I’m happy you’re here.”

Eventually, she and Anthony retired to Cape May, New Jersey, where they enjoyed their retirement years and made many special memories with their family. Her grandchildren, Justin and Jason, lovingly called her Mimi. Some of their fondest memories include time spent together in Cape May, with Mimi and Poppy, often taking them to the beach and creating the kind of simple, happy memories that stay with a family for a lifetime.

She is survived by her daughters, Michele Zizzamia and Christine Brooks and her husband, Jeff Brooks; her grandchildren, Justin Brooks and Jason Brooks; and Justin’s fiancée, Harleigh Doss.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects Friday, August 28th beginning at 12PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1PM at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 525 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ 08204.