On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the world lost a beautiful soul in Rita Westfall Gerber. Rita, 69, of Steubenville, Ohio passed away at the Valley Hospice North Care Center surrounded by her loving family. She was taken by our Lord after a long, hard fought battle with cancer. She was born on December 31, 1956 in Steubenville, Ohio a daughter of the late Berton Eugene Westfall & late Wilma Strupe Parrish.

Rita was a 1975 graduate of Jefferson Union High School and went on to become a steel worker by trade being a long-time employee of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, as well as working for the Laborer’s Union after her tenure in the mill. She was a loving, caring and outgoing individual who absolutely loved to live her life. Always a smile on her face, she loved to laugh and have fun with everyone she knew and was never shy about giving a good “ribbing” to anyone who wanted to try to test her. She was all about putting her family and friends before herself, even if it meant putting herself in a bind. Rita very much enjoyed attending family gatherings where she could celebrate with her siblings and numerous nieces and nephews whom she truly cared for. Having the “Gift of Gab” she could hold down the party for hours on end. In her later years, you could find Rita watching her favorite crime shows on TV, reading through her cookbooks and cooking with her loving son, Justin.

Rita was preceded in death by her father, Berton Eugene Westfall, mother Wilma Parrish and step-father Donald Parrish. She is survived by her sisters Brenda (Roger) Hillard, Alice (Dana) Rowcliffe; brothers David Westfall, Rob (Shelly) Parrish & Bruce (Chris) Parrish and the love of her life, her son, Justin Gerber with whom she resided.

Rita’s wishes were to have a party for friends and family to celebrate her life at a date to be announced. Rita hopes you may consider to make a donation on her behalf to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

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