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

Sat Apr 9 21:24:12 UTC 2011

Holly,

A very fitting tribute to Rita.  She was truly one of a kind.  To know her was to love her.  She will truly be missed.

James

-----Original Message-----
From: Holly <hbeanie at gmail.com>
To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Nfbf Leaders <nfbf-leaders at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Apr 8, 2011 11:00 pm
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] FW: [Gduf-l] Sad news

I was told today that Rita passed at work this afternoon.

ita was one of a kind. She was an all around grand person. I never heard
ita say a bad thing about anyone. She gave everything she had to the ones
ho knew her.
I went down to Southeastern for a visit with a group of students. Prior to
eaving the guide dog school, Rita gave me a bag. She told me it was for
acy. Rita and I had been working on getting me down to the school, with
acy, for a week of training with the trainers. She told me that Jacy would
ot be a problem. Rita and the girls in the office would take good care of
im. Now, Rita had been telling me this since Jacy was born. At conventions,
s Jacy got older, she always had something fun for him to play with. At the
ational ACB convention in Orlando, she invited Jacy to attend the breakfast
GD put on. She then told him that he had to bring his mommy. She gave him a
ote pad, pen and a stuffed puppy. I asked about purchasing another puppy
nd she explained that she had brought that one just for him and she did not
ave anymore, with her.
After picking up Jacy today from school, he asked me about Ms. Rita from the
og school. He wanted to know when he was going to see her again. I was
aiting for the bus and just cried. I explained that Ms. Rita was visiting
ith his Nana, my mom, and Ms. Zeena, my original driver at work. He then
aid, Mommy was she real sick or just a little? Why didn't the doctors fix
er? Those questions run through my head from time to time, too. I new Rita
as ill, I just did not know how bad. I saw and spoke to her at Top Dog and
 am glad I did. Jacy remembers seeing her there and giving her a huge hug.
 think he hurt her that day, but she didn't say anything.
What a lady. Words really cannot express all the memories, thoughts and
eeling going through my head right now.
May God be with Rita's dear family, keep them close and help them through
hese challenging times.
Thank you,
olly
On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 11:11 PM, Kathy Davis <kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> 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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