Rita Giampietro Scaletti & Joseph Scaletti

Joseph & Rita Scaletti

An innovative educator, supportive and loving wife, mother, and grandmother – Rita Victoria Scaletti was born on August 7, 1930 in New Haven, CT, the daughter of Italian immigrants: Aida and Paul Giampietro. Prior to attending college, she worked as an administrative assistant at the University of Connecticut and as secretary to the Vice President of Development at Cornell University.

Rita & Joseph Scaletti

After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at the University of New Mexico, she taught in the Albuquerque Public Schools for many years. As a teacher at Community School and as the founder of the El Porvenir and Quest programs, Rita mentored hundreds of students who might not otherwise have completed high school. She also pioneered the computer literacy programs at Sandia and La Cueva High Schools.

Rita Scaletti's Masters Degree

In September 2001, she and her husband, Joseph Scaletti celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their daughter, Carla and her husband, Kurt Hebel (of Champaign-Urbana, IL); their son, Robert and his wife, Laura (Romatowski) Scaletti (of San Antonio, TX); and their grandchildren, Dominic and Ciana Scaletti (both of San Antonio).

She passed away on May 18, 2005, and everyone who knew Joseph during that period, knows that he never got over her loss and that it was only his dedication to his work at Project ECHO that sustained him during those years.

Rita & Joseph Scaletti