Rita M. Dooley

Dear Dooley Family,
We would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy and offer our prayers. To Susan, Jim, Katherine and Anna, we are so sorry for your loss and pain.
Love to you all,
Lorraine and Sam

To the entire Dooley family,

We feel honored to have met Rita. The first time we met her was at a pool party Tim hosted at the house in Springfield some 25 years ago. Bill had decided to use her oven to dry some clothing (don't ask). We were so impressed with her sense of humor and easy going attitude as we did not know too many Mom's who would have reacted in such an understanding manner!

Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

The Murphy's

CC,...

I concur with Tim- Rita (not Mrs Dooley).

Rita was such a joy to be around.... just a tremendous presence, always so positive, could hang with the best of us, and boy, was Rita funny! I could have listened to Rita and my brother, John go back and forth and no matter the dialogue, the two of them would just have the whole room laughing! So many great memories with Rita in Sfld, Newton, Old Saybrook, the Cape! A beautiful, wonderful person who was so beloved by all my family!!! ...

It was not Mom, nor was it Mrs. Dooley - it was Rita. That is what I called her, that is what my brothers and sisters called her, that is what her neighbors and friends called her.

Friends would sometimes ask, why do your brothers and sisters call your mother Rita? They thought it was odd, maybe even disrespectful.

I always took pride knowing the answer. We called her Rita because she was more than a Mother to us, and more than Mrs. Dooley to our friends. She was one of...

Rita seemed ageless to me. She passed with the same dignity that she enjoyed her full life with.
Even at the rehab, she rose to any occassion to be active whether it was to bingo or exercise in the common room, or to go out with one of her daughters or visitors for a ride. She knew everyones name, and they certainly knew her and cared for her. Even in the short time she was there she made an impression on people and they cried when she passed so suddenly.
She was out for a picnic on...