My fond memories of Rita go right back to when I first believed in Santa. Each Christmas the Ryan and O'Connell families in New Zealand would each receive a big box of gifts from Rita in America.
The toys were better than Santa's. We all wondered about Rita and America. Rita came to visit us in New Zealand a couple of times, we got to meet this generous lady. As we got older we all made a point of visiting her in her cottage in the woods in Berlin. I visited her numerous times. She always made us welcome and over the years we got to know her for the beautiful caring person that she was. It is with great sadness these visits and our time with her have now come to an end. However my many happy memories visiting with Rita, her accent, laughs, smiles and hugs will always be cherished.
John Ryan
