Faith Zito

Faith Zito passed away August 16, 2017 from pneumonia and heart failure surrounded by family at her side in the Hospital, in Tacoma, WA.

Faith was born September 17, 1927 in Portland, Oregon. She was a native Oregonian.

Her grandfather William Gossett was a Traveling Circuit Preacher who built a church in WA State. Faith's mother, aunts, uncles and grandparents were Pioneers who crossed the Prairies in Covered Wagon and settled in Oregon and Washington. They all had strong deep Christian roots through the Word of God. Among Faith's many fondest memories were of her mother who she loved very much. She always remembered how beautiful, loving, gentle, artistic, and musical her mother was and that she and her mother were very close. Faith said that her mother always sang Hymns to her and read the Bible to her.

After her mother died, Faith age 7 went to live in Ashland, Oregon with her Aunt Elizabeth Gossett Ostrander, Uncle LeRoy Ostrander, cousins Arthur, Alice and Paula treated her like their own children. Faith fondly talked about her Cousins. She referred to Arthur as her little brother, and loved him very much. She loved looking out her bedroom window to watch and listen to the Ashland Shakespeare Theatre Productions. She volunteered for the USO in Oregon where she met Peter Zito who was a Soldier during WW2. They later married in New York where they started their family Faith and her husband Peter lived a very full and active life together for more than 45 years before Faith's husband died.

Faith was a devout Christian and a member of the Christian Science Mother Church in Boston, MA. where she received her class instruction. She loved her service to God as Church Organist and Church Soloist. Her favorite Psalm was Psalm 91. Faith worked as the Activity Director at Canterbury Crest Christian Science Nursing Home where she planned, organized special activities and she played the Organ and Sang Hymns and Read the Bible and Writings from Christian Science to the patients

One of Faith's greatest joys and memories was when she fulfilled a life long dream to go to College and earn her Degree in Music. In 1978 she managed to go to College later in life after her children were gone from home. Faith attended Portland State University beginning in 1978 and in June 1982 she was awarded her BS Degree in Arts and Letters - Music. In 1982 she was very happy to go to Marylhurst College in Oregon, where in 1987 she was awarded her BA Degree in Music. Faith never stopped talking about how wonderful her instructors the Sisters there were to her at Marylhurst College.. She said that the Sister's treated her like family.

Faith was highly active in the Portland Oregon area as a volunteer for various charity organizations. From 1971-1973 Faith volunteered for Community Care Associates, Inc. (Model Cities Agency) in Portland Oregon. Her responsibilities were enormous including Correspondence, wrote Director's speeches, devised donor records system, interviewed clients for food, etc. Attended Model Cities' meetings. Shared responsibility for office in Director's absence. In emergency, cooked, harvested, or went to cannery; inaugurated the quilt-making program. Arranged speaking engagements for the Director, Clara Peoples; public relations for agency in form of interviews, radio spots. Composed forms for inter-office use. Hostess (rotation basis) for Senior Citizen lunches given by agency.

Faith worked for The Oregonian Newspaper in Portland, Oregon from 1973-1978. Her responsibilities included the following: Ad taker and clerk. Took customer ads on telephone, sold space, computed cost, typed ads. For about twelve months, worked for supervisor, Nadeen Whiteman. Customer problems, facilitator, filled in where needed. Credit releases.

In 1978 Faith was employed by Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. She was Secretary for Adult Basic Education, and English as a Second Language supervisors. Duties: receptionist, phone, records, typing, filing. Explained ABE program to new students, arranged testing and placed students in classes. Explained ESL program to students, arranged for them to meet with ESL Tutor Supervisor for placement. Wrote own correspondence, as well as articles for Tutor Talk. Explained program to counselors, representatives of various other agencies and schools who needed information to make referrals.

Faith was not only a Pianist, Musician, Teacher, Organist, Soloist but she was also a Writer. In addition to her love for music, Faith loved the Theatre. Later in life she became active in the Portland, Oregon Theatre groups where she took acting lessons and enjoyed playing various character roles in some of the plays. Faith was highly gifted in many ways and she loved her work as Church organist and soloist for the Christian Science Church's in Portland, King City and Beaverton Oregon.

Faith made every day a happy day for all of her children and was very protective watching out for all of her children. When her children were young Faith played the piano and sang hymns after she put them all to bed so that they could hear the comforting words from the hymns and peacefully fall asleep.

Faith was a pillar of strength filled with abundant love for and unfailing faith in God. She was always filled with love, kindness, forgiveness, charity, goodness, understanding, spiritual guide, courage, wisdom and huge compassion for other people

Faith will always remain in the hearts of her family and remember her goodness, love, kindness, and wonderfulness in more ways than one. Faith lived up to her name in every way as a faithful servant of God. Faith was a loving mother in more ways than one and loved all of her children and she called Peter Jr. her blue eyed baby boy. She missed Peter Jr. terribly after he died and as time went on the combination of the loss of her husband Peter Zito and her son Peter Zito, Jr. all caused her to suffer from loss. Now Faith is no longer suffering and is in heaven reunited with her son Peter Jr. and her husband Peter Zito.

Years after Peter Jr.'s death, Faith and her husband Peter renewed their wedding vows 10 years later after the loss of their son Peter Jr. One of Faith's dreams was to travel to Scotland where her ancestors are from. So Faith's oldest daughter Barbara gifted Faith and Peter with a trip to Scotland where all three of them traveled to and shared special memories. For more than 45 years, Faith and her husband shared a very full life together in many ways with faithfulness and love towards one another and God. Faith made every Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter very special for her family with the table full of cakes, pastries, dinners, candies, pasta, and other tasty surprises her husband Peter and children all gladly feasted.

Faith loved Baroque, Classical, Gregorian Music and Chant, Sacred Music, Hymns, Carols, Folk, Gospel, Classical Music, Celtic Music and Opera. She had a highly rich musical experience and passed it on to her children. She always played records of the very best musical performance's and on the radio exposing her children to the finest of music. Faith and her husband Peter took their children to Radio City Music in NYC and to other Musical productions. Faith even took on a part time job so that she could pay for Cello and Piano lessons that her daughter Stephanie needed. .

In addition to all that Faith accomplished in life, she always made room for an orphan kitty that showed up at the house. She rescued numerous abandoned cats and had many cats throughout her life. Plus she loved to plant her rose garden and tend to it adding beautiful tulips, dalias, and lilies in a rainbow of colors. Faith sewed beautiful dresses for her daughters Barbara and Stephanie and for herself and made sure that all of her children looked their sunday best for Church and other special occasions.

Faith will always remain in the hearts of her family and friends and remember her wonderfulness in more ways than one. Faith lived up to her name in every way as a faithful servant of God and was a huge inspiration to so many lives who she touched.

What makes Faith so dear and special to her family and her friends, was particularly her strength to carry on after the death of her beloved son Peter Jr who she missed terribly. Although she suffered her loss for 43 years she remained peaceful even though the case was never solved and she had faith in the investigation and trusted that it would be solved. She always said I just want to know why my son is dead. Yet she never forgot what happened to Peter and thought about it all the time because she loved her son Peter Jr. very dearly and yet she carried on with dignity and went about her daily life. Her activities as Teacher, Pianist, Actress, Writer, Volunteer and remaining active as Church Organist and Soloist helped keep her strong. She never gave up on God and remained always faithful to God. But after her husband Peter died it all finally took a major toll on her and then she missed her husband Peter as well because she loved him and he always took care of her and provided for her in every way.

Finally Faith ended up in the hospital where she died from pneumonia in both lungs, heart attack and heart failure. It was a very sad ending for Faith before she died even though her family was there by her side. But now Faith is no longer suffering because she is in heaven reunited with her son Peter and her husband Peter and her kitties. Faith will always be remembered by those who knew and loved her.

Faith was predeceased by her beloved husband Peter Zito, and her loving son Peter Zito Jr. She is survived by her daughters, Barbara Zito, Kent, WA, Stephanie, NY, Cousins Arthur Ostrander, CA, Alice Ostrander, CA, and James Kisor, OR, including numerous Cousins, Nieces, Nephews and Friends.