Rita Ann Turflinger

Rita was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a divorcee, a grandmother and a very proud Italian-American. She sought joy in the aura of the American Southwest and Colorado, in reading everything from Mack Bolan spy thrillers to Les Misérables, in snuggling into Lord of the Rings and Star Wars marathons, in attending musicals, in volunteering, and, most of all, in being with family. She adored her parents, and rarely passed up an opportunity to brag about her two sons. Gift-giving and acts of service were her love languages. For over fifteen years, Rita spent all of her free time driving her sons to soccer practice, games and tournaments.

Rita was a lifelong Hoosier, a Catholic, a jewelry aficionado, and a collector of everything from John Wayne memorabilia to porcelain clown figurines.

Rita was also a story collector: she was sincerely, empathetically curious about the people around her, and she had a real ability to draw out their stories and leave them feeling encouraged. Whether she was at work or the grocery, she spoke to everyone she encountered with compassion and respect, including the wonderful nurses who cared for her during her fight with cancer. Invariably, Rita could not step out into Fort Wayne without someone stopping her to express their gratitude.

Most famously, Rita was an educator within the Fort Wayne Community Schools system for half a century. Rita dedicated her life to education; it was her passion. After earning her first degree at St. Francis, she began her teaching career at Pleasant Center Elementary School. Rita then worked for many years as an English teacher at Miami Middle School. She also headed Croninger Elementary’s Communications Department. Later, Rita’s innate organizational and management abilities propelled her into leadership roles. She served as Principal at Memorial Park Middle School before ultimately becoming Assistant Superintendent of FWCS. She “retired” in 2015, but immediately began advising administrative staff for FWCS. During her tenor, she mentored innumerable teachers and administrators, and there is no way to do justice to the positive impact she had on both colleagues and students. In short, Rita was the bossest of bosses.

Rita is survived by her sons Jason (Cathrine) and Bradley (April), sisters Donna, Cindy, Patty and Lisa, and her dog Jazmyne. Rita was also the very proud grandmother of Sophia, Sondre and Estella.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am, Saturday, August 13, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1105 Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne.

A celebration of Rita’s life will be held at 12:00 pm (noon) at the Baker Street Station, 221 West Baker Street, Fort Wayne. Rita’s family welcomes all to the reception, which will last as long as the drinks, memories, and stories continue to flow.

Memorial donations in her honor may be directed to the Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne at https://www.ccfwsb.org, or Catholics for Choice at https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/get-involved/donate-now/. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Rita's family may be shared at www.McCombandSons.com.