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Anita Rosario (Panza) Wargo, 96, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was born on March 10, 1930, in Toronto, Ohio, one of four children born to Dominick and Margherita (Calabrese) Panza.
Anita graduated from Weir High School and went straight to work in the tin mill at Weirton Steel Company in West Virginia before marrying and beginning her adventure as a military spouse and homemaker. As a military wife, she had the opportunity to travel the world, living in and visiting places from Japan, Korea and Hawaii to locations across the United States and Canada.
A talented cook, Anita, found great joy in preparing meals for her loved ones, especially during the holidays. Her home was always a gathering place for lively family dinners and celebrations, where family and friends eagerly enjoyed her homemade pasta, wedding soup, and Italian cookies.
Anita enjoyed traveling and spending quiet moments reading. Above all, she cherished the time she spent with those she loved and the memories they created together.
Anita will be lovingly remembered for her devotion to family, her kind heart, and the countless cherished memories she leaves behind.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harry Wargo; her sister, Concetta Oddi; and her brother, Albert Panza.
She is survived by her brother, John Panza; her daughter, Chamie Riley and husband, Bryan Riley, of Kingston, Tennessee; her two sons, Timothy Wargo and wife, Jennifer Wargo, of Tempe, Arizona, and Mark Wargo and husband, Sean Quinn, of Atlanta, Georgia; and her grandchildren, Katherine Riley, Hannah Brownell and partner Matt Lenord, Rachel Brownell, Jesse Brownell and wife Kasey, Sofia Wargo and fiance Avery Brown along with many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
A graveside service will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Harry Wargo.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Anita's honor to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.