Mary Rita Karpovitch

OBITUARY - Mary Rita Karpovitch

Mary Rita Karpovitch, born on March 17, 1944, in Ashland, PA, entered eternal life on

January 3, 2026, at her home in Toms River, NJ.

Mary Rita was raised mainly in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from St. Hubert’s High

School. She then earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and

a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University.

Mary Rita worked for years as a Sister of St. Joseph (Chestnut Hill) both in Philadelphia area

schools as a teacher (21 years) and as a Director of Youth Ministry in Our Lady of Mercy

Parish, Whippany, NJ (3 years). After this, she worked as a lay Program Director with

Catholic Charities in Edison/Fords, NJ (3.5 years), then as a School Counselor at Eatontown,

NJ Public Schools, where she retired after 25 more years.

At various times throughout her long career, Mary Rita was on the Cardinal’s Commission for

Human Relations (Phila.), was a member of the Interagency Council and Woodbridge Youth

Services Commission (NJ), served on the Youth Ministry Advisory Committee, Diocese of

Paterson, NJ, and was a member of both the New Jersey Education Association and the

Monmouth County School Counselor Association.

In the last place Mary Rita taught, she wrote/received a grant from the Bucks County Drug

and Alcohol Commission to do a community awareness program. She founded Building a

Better Community (BBC) - a parent group dealing with adolescent substance abuse, etc. She

started a World Hunger Action Club for students where she took them to feed the street

people (center city, Phila.), trained students to do projects in their school community, at a

local college and at a local mall to raise awareness of world and local hunger issues.

Mary Rita loved her work with children and their families and always felt privileged to really

get to know so many along the way. She treasured the gift of friendships made. Mary Rita

loved music all her life (singing and dancing, too!) In her mind, she remained “a Bandstand

girl” right to the end - even when health conditions impacted her mobility. She also loved the

ocean and seeing it always made her heart happy.

Mary Rita was predeceased by her parents, Joseph T. and Mary R. (Shivelhood) Karpovitch.

She is survived by many cousins living mainly in PA and N.J.

There will be a visitation at 9:30 AM and funeral mass at 10:30 AM, Friday, January 16, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Villa, Flourtown, PA. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside burial service, Friday, January 16, 2026, at 2:30 PM, in the New Saint Joseph's Cemetery, 24th and Brock Streets, Ashland, PA.  Officiating will be Deacon John Sutter.  Condolences can be made to http://www.Fritzfuneralhome.com.  The Richard W. Fritz Funeral Home is in charge of the burial service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph (Chestnut Hill) 9701 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118

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