Ruth D. Rienzo, 83, of Waterville, passed away Sunday, April 27, 2008 at the Faxton-St. Lukes Healthcare Center in New Hartford. She was born January 11, 1925, in Newark, NY, the daughter of the late Harry and Matie Van Den Ameele Dikeman. She was graduate of Newark High School and the Cortland Teachers College. In 1947, Mrs. Rienzo was hired by the Waterville Central School District to teach physical education at the Memorial Park Elementary School, were she met her future husband, Alphonzo A. (Funzi) Rienzo, an industrial arts teacher and coach in Waterville. They were married on June 26, 1950 in Inlet. Mrs. Rienzo retired from teaching in 1982 and her husband passed away in 1997. Mrs. Rienzo was a member of the Waterville Retired Teachers Association, the Oneida Chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild of America, the Mohawk Valley Embroiderer's Guild of America, was a past president of the Waterville Women's Club and was a past president of the Waterville PTA. She was also a volunteer for the school mentoring program with the Waterville Central School District and was an inspector for the Village of Waterville elections. Ruth enjoyed decorative stitching in her spare time. She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Charles and Tari Rienzo of Cleveland, OH, David and Patricia Rienzo of Grafton, NH and John and Cheryl Rienzo of Jamestown, RI; three grandchildren, Alexander, Abigail and Nicolas Rienzo; a sister, Olive Proseus of NC; a brother, Roland Dikeman of Ithaca, NY; several nieces and nephews; and a close friend, Jeanette Doyle of Waterville. She was predeceased by a sister, Arlene Hoehn; and a brother, Harold Dikeman. A private family funeral will be held Wednesday at the Kloster-Northrop & Bentz Funeral Home, Waterville, with Pastor Genett Timlin officiating. Interment will follow at St. Bernard's Cemetery, Waterville. There are no public calling hours. Friends are invited to a celebration of her life on Wednesday afternoon from 2-5 at her home on Hanover Road.