Rita was born Feb. 14, 1940, in Van Buren, Maine, a daughter of Leon and Martha (Ruest) Vaillancourt. She graduated from Bath’s Morse High School in 1958, and Mercy Hospital, School of Nursing Portland in 1961. Her professional career first took her to Boston for five years at Mass General and New England Baptist Hospital.
The next 17 years were spent in Maine, bringing up five sons while continually working professionally in areas of private duty nursing at Mercy Hospital, Maine Medical Center, school nursing and elder care at Seaside Nursing Home, all in Portland.
On the event of her first son entering college, she entered the work force full time and for the following 10 years was employed by Dr. William Taylor, MD as the office nurse. During this time, she also spent five years traveling the State doing case management for a State pilot program for Federally insured employees receiving Worker’s Compensation Benefits.
In 1991, she retired with Dr. William Taylor, MD, but soon decided to enter the managed care arena. She was hired at Healthsource, becoming its 36th employee. She worked there for 10 years. In 2000, she received the Healthcare Quality Achievement Award for Outstanding Dedication and Effort. She then became employed doing case management at Patients Advocates and then at Health Dialog., Portland, Maine.
She moved to Farmington from Cumberland Center to be closer to her oldest son and his family who live in Farmington.
In Jan. of 2004, she was hired for the position of Breast Care Support Nurse at the Martha B. Webber Breast Care Clinic, Franklin Memorial Hospital, and held a nursing position for the PHO of central and western Maine for the study of diabetes in Franklin Cty. Following treatment for a malignant brain cancer, she was rehired at Franklin Health Access and spearheaded a successful 5- year federal grant geared for the uninsured diabetic and those at risk for diabetes.
Rita also served on the Board of Directors and as Executive Secretary of the American Assoc. of Office Nurses, the National Kidney Fdt. Learning Systems Advisory Board, and was an active member of the Parish Nurse Council of Western Maine, and Past President of the Maine Healthcare Quality Association. She was a member locally of the Western Maine Garden Club and the Western Maine Quilters. She was active in her church and served on the Haiti Committee, was a Parish Nurse and Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Farmington. She also became a member of the Chaplaincy service at FMH. In 2010, she also conducted surveys for finding ways to improve the Town of Farmington and worked with Day of Giving under the United Way.
She is survived by four sons: Fred Conlogue, Jr. and his wife, Tammy of Farmington and their children: Zachary, Griffin and Mackenzie; Michael Conlogue and his wife, Paige of Worcester, VT and their two children Madeline and Thomas; stepson Jeffrey Porter and his wife, Mary of Cumberland Center and their children: Molly, Eliza, Sam, Isabelle and Tate; Jim Porter and his partner, Allison Moser of Poland; lifetime companion Thomas Robinson of Worcester, MA.; and special friend Barbara Crafts of Strong.
She was predeceased by her parents; stepson John Porter Jr. and all eleven of her siblings.
Family and friends are invited to call at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Rd., (Rtes. 2 & 27), Monday the 26th, from 4-7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held the following morning, Tues., Dec. 27 at 11 AM from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Middle St., Farmington, with Rev. Thomas Lequin officiating. Following Mass, all are welcome to attend a comfort reception at the parish hall, hosted by the Altar Guild. Remembrance gifts may be given to either the Cumberland/ North Yarmouth Scholarship Fund c/o Jeff Porter 37 Crossing Brook Road Cumberland, me. 04021 or to the Maine Mountain Chamber Music c/ o Laurie Kennedy and Yuri Funahashi, University of Maine, Farmington, 04938. Tributes and condolences may be shared with her family on her memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com. Winter entombment at the funeral home. Spring burial at the Blanchard Cemetery, Falmouth.
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