Rita L. Niedbalski

Rita L. Niedbalski, 100 years old, a long-time Dunkirk and Fredonia resident, passed away

peacefully on April 13, 2025 at the Chautauqua Nursing & Rehab, Dunkirk, NY. She was born on

February 20, 1925, in Dunkirk to Frank and Mary (Umataoski) Niedbalski.

After finishing school, she worked for Cease’s Commissary Restaurant in Dunkirk for many years

as a baker. She spent the past few years before retirement working for the Fredonia Place

community, doing homecare and also doing private housecleaning. She was known to her

friends and family for her selflessness, strength, feistiness and cheesy jokes. She loved to play

pinochle with her friends, step-sisters-in-law, step nieces and step-nephews. She will also be

fondly remembered for her shopping trips together, birthday cupcakes, family picnics, and

funny bits of ‘road rage'. Even though her siblings and her weren’t able to have children of their

own, she had a motherly heart, considering so many people she loved as nieces, nephews and

granddaughters; as family.

She will be missed very much by her friend, Jennifer Mackey, who considered her to be like a

grandma for many years; and her friends, Thomas and Janice (Zielinski) Kuznicki, whom she

considered as “niece and nephew”, of Blasdell, and their daughters, “great-nieces and great

nephews”, Lisa (Kuznicki) Gates and Kevin, of Charlotte, and their children, “great-grand

nieces”, Jamie, Meagan, Caitlin and Laci and Holly (Kuznicki) Schoenborn and Jeff, of Buffalo, as

well as their children, “great-grand niece and nephews”, Lila, Nathaniel, and Mathias.

Besides her parents she was predeceased by her older siblings Bill Niedbalski, baby sister, Anna

Niedbalski, and Agatha (Niedbalski) Latham.

Memorials in Rita's memory may be made to the Lakeshore Humane Society; 431 E. Chestnut Street, Dunkirk, NY. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Arrangements by R. Mackowiak Funeral Home, Inc.; 56 East Doughty Street, Dunkirk, NY. Interment in private.