M. Rita Collins

M. Rita Collins, October 1, 1916 – August 14, 2020.

Her name was Mary Rita, but everyone called her Rita.

She was the daughter of Richard J. and Elizabeth R. (Gaffield) Collins.  She was the oldest of eight children. She was predeceased by her five brothers: Richard Jr., J. Daniel, Thomas, Francis and Paul Collins, and her two sisters, Elizabeth Collins and Emily Gill.  She leaves behind many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. She would have turned 104 years old on October 1st.

Rita was born and raised in Dorchester. She lived there all her life until moving to Quincy five years ago at age 98.  Rita was a long-time parishioner of Saint Brendan’s Parish in Dorchester.

During the Great Depression, times were tough and money was tight. To help support the family, Rita worked at a nail polish factory during the day and attended the Roxbury Evening Commercial High School at night, earning her high school degree. She became a proficient accountant and was employed by a food brokerage firm in Braintree for many years until her retirement.

Rita was a very independent woman. She never married or had children of her own. Instead, she doted on her many nieces and nephews. Rita loved her family and they loved her.

Rita was a pleasant, kind, sociable person. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great conversationalist. Rita had a sharp mind right up to the very end of her life.  She loved decorating her home and visiting the homes of friends and relatives. Rita especially loved spending time at her sister Emily’s house on the beach in Hull. She spent many happy hours sitting on the porch chatting with her sisters and watching her nieces and nephews swimming and playing on the beach.

Funeral arrangements and services are private.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in Rita’s memory to The Boston Higashi School for Autism, in Randolph, would be most appreciated.