Kindness, determination, love -- our Rita from the Quinn family

Rita Quinn Detrich Rita Quinn Dietrich is remarkable for her kindness, determination, and love.  Orphaned as a child, she was determined to be the “mother she never had” to her five children. Her patience and kindness were well known in the neighborhood. Her children thought her the best mother on the block as did many of their friends. Her encouragement and steadfastness propelled all of her children on to college and successful careers. Their achievements are her achievements. Rita left the workforce in the early 1990s and turned her attention to community involvement.  Melrose needed active seniors willing to devote time and energy to transforming the Beebe Estate into a premier recreation center for seniors. Although not trained in building or interior design, Rita had natural abilities. She traveled to other senior centers as part of the architecture team, cataloging good features and discarding bad. Many of her insights were woven into the conversion of the Beebe Estate into the Milano Senior Center. Rita’s dedication to the senior community resulted in her being elected president of the Melrose Friends of the Aging. She has volunteered her time at the center for many years and has been involved in events large and small. In the early 2000’s, Rita, as president of the Melrose Friends of the Aging, rallied her colleagues to raise funds for the renovation of the center’s Carriage House Lounge. They raised $200,000, which was used to add new space to meet the demands for more classes, new computers, and other healthcare initiatives. Rita was instrumental in the interior design of this new space. Rita also pushed for information about the new prescription drug plans for seniors, believing that only with the necessary information could her peers make informed decisions. She regularly volunteers at the flu-vaccine drives and podiatric clinics. Year after year, the medical staff asks for her by name and seeks her assistance. She plans events, organizes classes, greets guests, and endeavors to help others and make every one feel welcome. She is well-known and well-liked.   A young co-worker of Rita’s once said: “She is truly inspiring in her dedication to her family and community.” We think the “R” in Rita is for “remarkable.” She is remarkable for her vitality and commitment to those she loves and because she continues to treat each day as a new beginning---planning a future for herself, her family, and her community.

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