Rita M. (Goff) Cronin

Rita M. (Goff) Cronin, a Quincy resident for over 50 years, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family on Friday, January 18, 2019. She was 90.

Born in Somerville, she was raised in Dorchester and was the daughter of the late Thomas and Mary (Leahey) Goff. Rita attended local schools and graduated from the Jeremiah E. Burke High School with the Class of 1945. Following high school, Rita worked as a legal secretary for the Graham Law Firm in Boston.

In her spare time, Rita loved to sing and listen to music. Her favorite genre was classical and she enjoyed Beethoven and Luciano Pavarotti. An active parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish, Rita was a member of the Sacred Heart Choir and the Quincy Choral Society. She loved to be in the presence of others and enjoyed visiting over tea while having pleasant conversations. Rita was a gifted cook and specialized in Italian cooking. Her children’s favorite dish was Rita’s lasagna.

When Rita wasn’t at home taking care of her family, she could be found at the ice rink. Rita was an excellent ice skater and loved being on the ice. It was a place where she could relax and let all the troubles of the world drift away. She was famous for trying to recruit people to take up the sport.

A woman of great faith, Rita lived her life in in accordance with the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. She raised her six children with love and devotion and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for the people in her life. Devoted to her husband and children, her family often says, “The mold was broken after Rita and Neil married!”

Rita was a humble, selfless, wise person who took pleasure in being kind and compassionate. Her integrity, life lessons and outgoing traits are her legacy that continue through her children and grandchildren. She will be missed by all the lives she touched.

Rita was the beloved wife of Neil Cronin. The two married on July 14, 1949 at St. William’s Church in Dorchester. Together they shared 69 loving years of marriage. She was the devoted mother of Kathe Cronin and her husband Philip Rice of Roslindale, Stephen P. Cronin and his wife Amy of Squantum, Michael P. Cronin and his partner Tomoyuki Sasaki of Richmond, Virginia, Annemarie Tucker and her husband Michael of Boxboro, the late Mary E. Cronin, who passed away in 2010 and the late Neil P. Cronin, who passed away in 2003. Rita was the loving grandmother of eight and the dear sister of the late Jane Breen and Thomas Goff. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Thursday, January 24th from 4 through 8 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home on Friday, January 25th prior to the Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church, Quincy at 10 AM.

Services conclude with interment in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Boston.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rita’s name may be sent to the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation by visiting: UCP.org.