Rita Plinska

Rita Veronica Plinska (nee Kieliszewski) was born January 13, 1941 in Stevens Point, Wisc. She was welcomed home to Heaven on March 8, 2024, after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was a loving wife of 61 years to Joel Plinska, cherished mother to Ryann (Kevin) Greve, and adored granny to Aaron and Colin Greve. She is preceded in death by her sisters Evelyn Plimpton and Darlene Buchert, and brother Leo Kelly. Rita was treasured by her brothers- and sisters-in law, nieces, nephews, and many friends.

A gathering will be held at Wisconsin Memorial Park, Chapel of the Chimes, 13235 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin, on Monday, March 18, 2024, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, followed by the Celebration of Life at 2:00 PM.

Soon after Rita’s birth, her family moved to Milwaukee, and she grew up in the Bay View neighborhood, graduating from Bay View High School in 1959. Later, she would proudly serve on class reunion committees, and forged a lifelong bond with her high school friends, affectionately known as “the Big Six.” After graduation, she worked at Allen-Bradley for 15 years.

In February 1962, she attended a basketball game for the Allen-Bradley company team, and after the game, one of the players asked her to dance. She and that player, Joel Plinska, married on December 29, 1962. The couple later moved to Greendale, where they called home for over 50 years. Rita prided herself on creating a beautiful home, inside and outside. Her and Joel’s gardening efforts were so admired that her yard was a designated stop on a garden tour of Greendale, an honor Rita held with pride. Rita and Joel enjoyed traveling, having visited Hawaii, Sedona and New Orleans, among other destinations.

After multiple miscarriages, Rita and Joel were blessed with the birth of their only child, Ryann, in 1974. Rita was destined to be a mother, and she shone in that role. She paused her career to be a full-time mom, and volunteered as an elementary school reading tutor, softball coach and Brownies troop leader. Rita instilled in her daughter the value of hard work and dedication to excellence, as well as encouraged her to try different pursuits that she never had the opportunity to do, such as piano, acting and sports. She supported her daughter’s athletic participation, rising at dawn to pack a cooler of food for club volleyball tournaments, never missing a Greendale High School girls’ basketball or volleyball game, and attending every home volleyball match at Northwestern University. Rita wore her “Northwestern Mom” sweatshirt with pride. She regularly visited Ryann in Chicago, where they would take in a performance at the Lyric Opera, dine at a steakhouse and enjoyed walking around that vibrant city.

Rita returned to the working world in healthcare, which she found to be a great fit, at Family Health Plan and later, Covenant Healthcare. She was a congenial and well-liked colleague, respected for her work ethic and can-do attitude. She later found her niche in Women’s Health Education, coordinating and teaching classes about bone density and breast self-examinations. She became a tireless advocate for women’s health in the Milwaukee community.

Her knowledge about women’s health would help her fight her own bouts with breast cancer, in 1999 and 2007. Her proactivity saved her own life, as she detected lumps early in both cases. She fought bravely and valiantly through both crises, and lived as a proud cancer survivor, sharing her story and supporting other survivors on their journeys.

Upon returning to Milwaukee, Ryann married her husband Kevin, with Rita and Joel standing side-by-side on the Maui beach with the couple as they took their vows. Two years later, Rita became a granny with the birth of her grandson Aaron. When her daughter and son-in-law were looking for a site on which to build their new home, they chose a lot just over the Greendale border in Franklin to be close to Rita, who offered to care for her grandsons while their parents worked. Rita would take Aaron, and later, his brother Colin, on long walks around the connected sidewalks of Greendale, visiting playgrounds and playing with the many toys and games she had in her home just for them. Rita and Joel would take the boys to and from school when they got older, with the boys always greeting their granny with a smile and big hug. Aaron and Colin loved their granny so much.

Rita was also an ingenious handyperson, fixing home issues with crafty solutions on the level of MacGyver. She took great pride in having a clean and organized home, and always presented herself immaculately and stylishly. She believed in being kind to and having empathy for others, knowing that everyone is fighting a battle of their own. Rita always greeted people with her bright and warm smile, treated everyone she met with kindness and was quick to pay a compliment or have a laugh at a silly joke.

Her home was filled with music, courtesy of the oldies station or one of her many record albums. Motown groups, the Mamas & the Papas, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Louis Prima, and Celine Dion were among her favorite musicians. A movie lover, her favorites were musicals like The King and I, The Music Man, Singin’ in the Rain, The Sound of Music, and Funny Girl, as well as anything starring Paul Newman and Doris Day. And she loved The Golden Girls, and always took comments on her resemblance to Betty White as a compliment.

In 2014, Rita was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which proved to be a foe she could not beat. The steely strength and resolve she showed in fighting this insidious disease was both admirable and heart-breaking. In the end, it took pieces of her away from herself and her loved ones. It was indeed, a long goodbye. As excruciating as it was to witness and live with as her family and friends, it is unimaginable the terror she felt, knowing what was happening to her. The Plinska family is grateful to the caregivers at Caring Alternatives in Muskego and Brighton Hospice for giving Rita the care, dignity and grace she deserved in her remaining years. And the fact that she died peacefully, gracefully and painlessly is a wonderful gift for a beautiful human we will miss dearly.

Rita is now an angel, with her soul living in the hearts of her loved ones. She is watching over us now, free and whole once again. We are so happy for you. God bless you, Rita/Mom/Granny/Aunt Rita. We love you so much, always and forever.

Rita was a wonderful person and loved by so many. She lived her life with love and kindness and will be an angel to all those who loved her. She will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Islands of Brilliance are appreciated.