Colleagues remembered Rita Krolak, a research coordinator at Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, as a caring nurse who brought a positive and vibrant attitude to the office every day.
“Rita has been a part of our Slone family as long as I can remember, and she has been one of the most valued and admired members of our Pregnancy Health Interview Study,” said Allen Mitchell, director of the center. “I had the honor of working with Rita on a regular basis and more importantly, learning from her.”
Krolak, 70, died on Aug. 25 in Duane, N.Y., in a car accident that also killed her husband, Patrick D. Krolak, and son, Patrick M. Krolak. She was research coordinator of the Pregnancy Health Interview Study, which looks into birth defects and complications in pregnancy, since 2001 at Slone.
Krolak leaves two children, Karen Krolak, of Somerville and Michael Krolak, of Medford, and three grandchildren.
“She was the hub of our very large and complex study,” said Dawn Jacobs, the project coordinator who worked closely with Krolak. “Rita was the ‘go-to’ person with the answers to so many questions. She loved her role as a researcher and being a resource to all of us.”
She had the incredible ability to combine her nursing expertise with her sensitivity to humanity, Mitchell said.
She was able to perceive how a mother in the pregnancy study would feel given the tone or wording of a question in order to improve the research to be both sensitive to the subjects and scientifically accurate, he said.
“As others will reflect, Rita was the ‘go-to’ person on more levels than I can describe, and none of us can imagine Slone and our Study without her wisdom, sensitivity, kindness and consistently positive attitude,” Mitchell said.
Her kindness was also evident in her work community, Clare Coughlin, a nurse interviewer for the study, said.
When Coughlin began working with the Pregnancy Health Interview Study, Krolak made her feel comfortable in the new environment, Coughlin said.
“She immediately welcomed me into the study with open arms and taught me everything I needed to know in order to be successful,” she said. “In fact, Rita was everyone’s ‘go-to’ person.”
Krolak was compassionate in all areas of her life, reaching out to friends in their times of need, Coughlin said.
Jacobs said she remembered the little things about Krolak, such as how well she listened and how she loved to travel and read.
“She was an early riser who did more work before sunrise than most people do all day,” Jacobs said. “She also enjoyed a nice glass of wine. After a long busy week she would send me her typical Friday afternoon sign off email, ‘Closing up shop for the day … time for a glass of wine!’”
Krolak’s impact, both in the workplace in the lives of the people she worked with, will not be forgotten, Coughlin said.
“Rita’s compassion, commitment and vast amount of knowledge are irreplaceable,” she said. “I will always remember her warm smile and wish I could tell her how much I appreciated her friendship and tremendous support over the past fifteen years. Rita will be truly missed.”
Jacobs said, while Krolak would be missed, she was grateful to have known her for 12 years.
“Rita was a thoughtful advisor on caring for elder parents, raising teenagers and how to be a good mother-in-law,” Jacobs said. “She loved [her husband] Pat, her children and grandchildren dearly and loved to spend time with all of them. She was the Grandma I hope to be like some day.”
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