Petkauskas, Mary Rita, 1917-2005

Mary Rita Petkauskos, 87, died Wednesday April 27, 2005 at Knollwood Nursing Home in West Boylston. Born in Shirley she was daughter of the late Peter and Mary (Belshunas) Petkauskos. Survived by her sister Adele “Dolly” Harkness of Hudson. Mary was survived by her nephews Victor Petkauskos of Osterville, Michael Petkauskos of Hudson, David Petkauskos of Shrewsbury, Peter Petkauskos of Lancaster and her nieces Rita Lynn Olszewski of Chester, NH and Patricia Lange of Peterborough, NH and their families. Sister of the late Victor and Peter Petkauskos. She was a communicant of St. Joseph The Good Provider Church in Berlin. Mary was a graduate of St. Michael Academy in Hudson 1936 and Clinton Hospital School of Nursing1940. Mary earned her BSN at Boston College 1953 and Masters in Community Nursing at Teachers College at Columbia University 1957. She was a pioneer in developing Maternal and Child Health as a nursing specialty. Mary taught at Boston College, Boston University and Northern Essex College. During her retirement years she helped launch Berlin’s Meals on Wheels and wrote many Grants. She created the Powderhouse Senior News and initiated a transportation program for senior citizens. Mary was on the Board of Directors of Central Mass Agency on Aging. She retired June 2004 as the director of the Berlin Council on Aging after 21 years. In 1995 she was one of a select few presented with the Silver Dove Award by Governor Weld in recognition of her dedicated years of volunteering services. Her autobiography and nursing collection has been donated to the Nursing Archives at the Burns Library, Boston College.