[Nfbf-l] FW: [Gduf-l] Sad news

[Dan Hicks]

I, too, am shocked and saddened by Rita's passing. I knew that she had been
ill, but did not realize how serious her illness was or that it was ongoing.
Knowing Rita, that is just the way she wanted it. 

The NFBF has lost one of our loyal and longtime supporters. We will all miss
Rita.

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily.  
Not to dare is to lose oneself." 
                 - Soren Kierkegaard
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of
> Kathy Davis
> Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 11:12 PM
> To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'; Nfbf Leaders
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] FW: [Gduf-l] Sad news
> 
> Dear NFBF Friends,
> I am absolutely stunned to tell you that our dear and treasured friend,
Rita
> Princivalli passed away as the result of cancer. I am simply stunned by
this
> news as I didn't even know Rita was ill.
> 
> I tried to reach her several times to no avail and Allen Bornstein tried
to
> connect with her too. What a complete and utter shock!!
> 
> For those of you who did not know Rita well, you may remember that she is
> the terrific and giving woman who put on the "What's New and Cool for the
> Blind" seminar at state convention.
> 
> Please read on to see what Debbie Grubb, has to say about Rita. Bless her
> dear and giving heart!
> Often Rita told people that the reason she became a puppy raiser was
because
> when she worked for the Center for the Visually Impaired here in Daytona
> Beach, Rita simply fell in love with my first Seeing Eye dog, Dorsey. It
was
> also because of a dear friend's guide dog named Heidi.
> 
> I will miss her and so regret that I had no idea that she was battling
> cancer. God bless her giving heart and her love for blind people and their
> guide dogs.
> 
> Kathy
> 
> 
>   _____
> 
> From: Patricia A. Lipovsky [mailto:plipovsky at cfl.rr.com]
> Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 7:26 PM
> To: Kathy Davis
> Subject: Fw: [Gduf-l] Sad news
> 
> 
> Hi Kathy.
> 
> I didn't know if you had heard or not so I thought I would forward this to
> you.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Debbie Grubb <mailto:debbiecg at verizon.net>
> To: Guide Dog Users of Florida <mailto:gduf-l at emissives.com>
> Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 12:28 PM
> Subject: [Gduf-l] Sad news
> 
> Because Rita Princivalli touched the lives of so many guide dog users, I
am
> sharing the message with you that I just sent to the Southeastern Guide
Dog
> Users e-mail list.
> 
> 
> 
> hello Freedom Family,
> 
> I am saddened to post the news of the passing of our beloved friend, Rita
> Princivalli.  Today, Rita lost the valiant battle that she had been waging
> against cancer.  Rita's was the first voice that many of us heard as we
> arranged for our first or return visit to Southeastern Guide Dogs.  Rita's
> presence during class brought each student respite from the stress of
guide
> dog school and a touch of longing for home, important knowledge about
caring
> for our dogs, vital information about the Americans with Disabilities Act
,
> our access rights and responsibilities, and opportunities for enjoyable
> activities on and off campus.  Having had the opportunity to spend time
with
> Rita and her friend, David, I know beyond a doubt that the affection and
> respect that all of us felt for Rita was returned in abundance.
> 
> Rita's daughter is about to give birth to her second child.  When she is
> able to travel, there will be a memorial service for our dear friend,
Rita,
> at Southeastern Guide Dogs.  Information about that service and Rita's
> wishes for her remembrance will be sent to this list as soon as it is
> available.
> 
> Please feel free to send this message to your friends who knew Rita and
> were, like all of us, the beneficiaries of her friendship, expertise,
> commitment to the guide dog movement and overwhelming kindness.
> 
> I will close this note with two personal experiences i had with our
friend,
> Rita.  When my husband, Frela, was fighting his own personal battle with
> cancer, Rita's friend, David, at Rita's request, was one of the wonderful
> volunteers who drove Frela and me to Moffitt.  David and Frela became good
> friends and being with him brought Frela much comfort.  Many times, David
> used Rita's car for this purpose.  Soon after Frela's death, although Rita
> was herself fighting cancer, she and David took me out to dinner and we
> spent a delightful afternoon together.  At that dinner, Rita gave me a
> beautiful memory that I will cherish always.  During the previous
> Thankstgiving, when it was David's turn to give thanks, he gave thanks for
> the opportunity of knowing my husband.  I will always carry the memory in
my
> heart of Rita's voice as she shared that precious private family moment
with
> me.
> 
> When I, as event coordinator for Top Dog 2011, asked Rita to bring us her
> excellent canine first aid program, she said "yes" without hesitation.
When
> her family asked her what she wanted for Christmas last year, she asked
them
> for funds that she added to those generously provided by Southeastern
Guide
> Dogs to purchase the first aid kits that we who attended Top Dog 2011
> received.  By January of this year, Rita was gravely ill.  David and her
> family were anxious to get her to Chicago where her family lived and where
> it was hoped she could receive more expert medical attention.  Rita
refused
> to go until after Top Dog.  She said that Top Dog 2011 would probably be
the
> last guide dog event that she would attend and participate in and she
wanted
> to give all of us this last gift.  Rita came to us riding a scooter and
> brought to us her excellent canine first aid presentation and her terribly
> compelling and amusing anecdotes as a puppy raiser during the puppy raiser
> panel.  Rita remained with us for the entirety of the conference and
> although she must have been exhausted, she and David gave a Southeastern
> student a ride to the school from orlando.  That's just who Rita was.
> 
> There are no words to describe how much Rita will be missed by all of us
who
> work a Southeastern guide dog and by the many other guide dog handlers who
> were touched by Rita's warmth, kindness and generous heart when they met
her
> during various conferences at which she represented our school.
> 
> Please remember Rita's friend, David and her daughter in your thoughts and
> prayers.
> 
> Until we remember Rita's life formally, I know that each of us will
remember
> her privately in our own way.
> 
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> 
> 
> Debbie Grubb
> debbiecg at verizon.net
> 
> 
>   _____
> 
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> 
> 
> 
>   _____
> 
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