Rita Kingsley Mcnally

On January 11, 2021, at the age of 90, Rita K. Progin McNally passed away due to complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease. In a testament to her incredible strength, this year she overcame two COVID positive tests while remaining asymptomatic.
Rita was born on April 25, 1930, the only child of Flora Mae Kingsley of Hatfield, Massachusetts. Her foster parents, John and Helen Howard raised Rita as their own daughter, often saying that she always wanted a family of her own to love. She was a 1947 graduate of Lancaster High School.
With her first husband, Henry Haase, of The Bronx, New York, she had 6 children: Douglas (Denise) Haase and Randall (Janet) Haase of Petersburg, Virginia, Holly Haase of Shirley, MA, Robin Haase (Steve) Philbrick of San Antonio, TX, Elayna Haase of Greenfield, MA and Craig (Kirsten) Hodgkins of Pittsburg, PA. In her youth Rita sang in church and youth choirs and her love of singing led to a career as a night club singer. It was at Nelson’s where she met her husband Richard Progin of Fitchburg, MA who fell in love with not only Rita, but her children as well. He was the love of her life. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said in The Great Gatsby, “He looked at her like all woman want to be looked at by a man.” They completed the family with the arrival of their daughter Tara Progin (Frank) Hinckley of Marlborough. As the years passed, she was thrilled to welcome 19 grandchildren and, at last count, 24 great-grandchildren.
Our mother lived a busy life raising her family and managing a large household. Our days typically started with six bowls of oatmeal on the counter and ended with bedtime foot checks. We all chipped in and our home was a show-place with an impeccably maintained yard, incredible gardens, apple trees, and a beautiful annual display of Christmas lights. Her cooking and baking were renowned, especially among her children’s friends who all showed up during apple pie season. Mom served up abundant spreads. There were all-you-can-eat fries and endless pancake eating contests, Thanksgiving feasts after the annual Leominster/Fitchburg football classic and spaghetti supers for the LHS Wrestling Team.
On her creative side, our Mom could knit anything, even glamorous outfits for our Barbie dolls. To this day we covet her handmade wooly slippers. Her love of music and her remarkable voice filled our home with church music and classical pieces, as well as popular tunes. The hi-fi record player was always on. Throughout her life it seemed that everything Mom touched bloomed. Her gorgeous gardens were so welcoming and evoked the feeling of home no matter where she lived.
Following the passing of her beloved Richard, Rita began her work in elder care at the Keystone Nursing Home in Leominster where she served as the activities director for several years. Following a move to join her sons in Petersburg, Virginia, Mom’s professional career would come to fruition as the Executive Director and Founder of Interfaith Adult Day Care, Inc. Rita worked tirelessly for 18 years to procure grants, gifts and donations from area churches and businesses to support this first of its kind regional center for aging citizens. With her guidance, Interfaith reached out to seniors who needed daily supervision, personal care, structured activity, independent functioning, mobility assistance, rehabilitation, and much needed social support and companionship. Rita’s accomplishments were widely recognized and stood as the model for adult daycare for many years.
We sincerely thank the Petersburg Healthcare Center for patiently tending to our mother’s needs during the final chapter of her long journey home. She lived a remarkable life on her own terms and is finally free from the constraints of Alzheimer’s. As her grandson said, she now has her memories back. We mourn the loss of our beloved matriarch. Nothing will ever be the same.
A celebration of Rita’s life will be held at a later date. Memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Crater District Area Agency on Aging, c/o Mr. Fletcher Cooke, 23 Seylor Drive, Petersburg, VA 23805.