Remembering Rita Milne
HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge
“Aspire to inspire before you expire,” I blurted out yesterday, surprising myself with the retort.
The question being what I intended to do with my time once the current tour of duty at City Council is done. I’m hanging up my political hat and not running again.
When Wayne Moore from Castanet reported more than a month ago I was not running again NEXT election – the public and other media misconstrued that as I was quitting, now. Not even close to the plan – or what I said. Still, as we all know well, people read or hear what they want too. Those knee jerk reactions were often fuelled or followed with even crazier speculations such as I was quitting to run a newspaper on Vancouver Island or that I won a world cruise trip and was quitting Council to do that.
Hmm.
Wouldn’t that be sweet?
Sadly, none of the above – just the straight reality that Emphysema and Osteomyelitis have taken their toll and the lungs have a full time retirement date in relatively close sights.
Yet I digress.
“Aspire to inspire before you expire”. I pondered briefly yesterday, trying to figure out where that catchy little phrase came from and then the laughter and warm full of life face of Rita Milne popped into my head. My dear friend (and sorely missed Kelowna icon) Rita had grabbed me by the shoulders one afternoon some 10 years ago and gave me a shake before pontificating her line of inspiration.
Her admonishment was due to my whining about a lack of knowledge on how to ‘text message’ on my new cell phone.
“Not so sure. I’m getting old and was never good with anything electronic to begin with. Technology and I are not the best of buddies,” I retorted in my feel sorry for me voice, half in jest and half in accepted self-defeat.
“Oh nonsense, believe me if I can figure this out then anyone can. Just put your mind to it. Suck it up Charlie-boy,” she said, humorously dismissing my self-absorbed rant.
“We are stuck with technology so we might as well embrace it,” she chuckled, succinctly summarizing the scenario.
Of course, Rita was correct in her words of encouragement, delivered in her typical opinionated and sometimes very pointed assessment.
With Rita Milne three things were pretty much a guarantee: She usually had something to say about any subject, was not afraid of stating her thoughts or views, and usually did so with an inspiring gusto for life.
If you were involved in anything to do with downtown Kelowna chances are good you met the ball of energy at least once. Prior to her ill health Rita was a non-stop whirling dervish of positive energy and determination. She wasted no time suggesting ways to make our city a better and more prosperous place in which to live – nor did she back down from suggesting when she thought a plan, concept, or decision by others was not the right path to take. She was a particular watchdog with actions and individuals at City Hall and within the inner circles of the Downtown Kelowna Association for many years.
When Rita spoke (which was often) the majority listened. Those that didn’t tended to be sorry later.
I still miss Rita for many things including her passion for people and for Kelowna, her wit and charm, and her never quit mantra. In more ways than she ever knew Rita was an inspiration and motivation for me. Her feisty yet fun style garnered her multiple admirers – even those who often disagreed with her.
She had the rare ability to always manage to snag a few minutes of everyone’s time to enter a dialogue – even with those she may have driven crazy with her relentless pursuit of what she thought was common sense or the right thing to do.
The obituary that appeared on Face book soon after her death summed up her life wisely and appropriately, using humour in the process.
“Shares of ‘Chico’s Clothing’ fell sharply on the news that long time preferred customer, Rita Milne, had left for the Eternal World on Wednesday, April 1… The woman with the wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn and the personality and vitality to make it work, died peacefully at home with her family by her side after a brief encounter with an unwelcome disease, ALS,” her face book eulogy read.
“…Of all of her gifts, the ability to stimulate people to think about their perspective and question it may be her greatest, and her children, and all of those who had the good fortune to become close to her are better people because of this.”
Her endless energy and vision for what was right, led her to join, and in many cases to lead many associations and organizations in Kelowna.
Milne was not only a good friend to me; she was also a tremendous friend to the city of Kelowna. Rita died in 2015 and her departure wounded many. She is still missed – but thank goodness for the time we had with her in our community and for those who knew her, in our lives.
