Northampton, MA – Rita Davis (Ronnie Risch), passed away peacefully in the loving care of her daughter, Michelle, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Beloved sister, mother, grandmother, wife and educator, Ronnie was born on September 27, 1935, to Morris Seidenstein and Rachel Small. Raised in the Bronx with her brother Sidney Seidenstein (since deceased), she attended Hunter College where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She subsequently earned a master’s degree in education from Hofstra University.
Ronnie was an incredibly talented elementary educator who taught across a multiplicity of classroom settings before moving to individual instruction following the loss of her hearing due to Meniere’s disease. She never let her hearing difficulties impact her capacity to connect with myriad young people, seeing in each of them unique strengths and passions and harnessing those to help them grow and flourish. Her authentic connection with humans, especially young ones, was a hallmark of her life and work, leaving a legacy that will impact many generations.
Ronnie married Stanley (Stan) Risch, and together they raised three children, Roger, Michael and Michelle. Michael passed away in 2011, a devastating loss that marked the rest of Ronnie’s life. Her surviving children both honor her legacy in their work as educators. She is survived by three adoring granddaughters, Alexandria and Emma and Valentina Risch, all of whom were well loved, mentored and supported by their dedicated grandmother.
After the death of Stan in 2004, Ronnie moved to Florida, where she found joy, vigor and freedom in a reemergence of herself. She met and married Herbert (Herb) Davis, who fondly referred to her as his “pushy Jewish broad from the Bronx”, a moniker she proudly wore. Herb passed away in 2015, and Ronnie relocated to Massachusetts, bringing Bronx to the Baystate, where she lived with her daughter and granddaughter. She was a force of nature, entertaining and mothering everyone she met along the way.
A caregiver in her assisted living community recounted to her daughter “I didn’t know anyone in this country. I had no family. Ronnie became that for me”. Her authentic connections and unconditional care offered a startling contrast to the world she described as increasingly “f***ed up and unrecognizable”. Her way of being modeled a way forward for us all.
Services will be held in her honor at Riverside Cemetery in Saddle Brook New Jersey on Friday January 30th, at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Clarke School of Hearing and Speech in Northampton, MA to honor both her dedication to children and experience of hearing loss.
Click here to sign the guest book or honor their memory with flowers, donations, or other heartfelt tributes