10/16/2026
In Loving Memory: Rita Ogunnaya
Last month, our CMA family said goodbye to a very special person, Rita Ogunnaya, who passed away on September 17. As we continue to grieve her loss, we want to take a moment to honor the woman she was and the difference she made here.
Rita spent 10 years as a Direct Support Professional at the Carleton Residence. If you ever walked into Carleton while Rita was working, you knew it. You’d hear her laugh before you saw her, and then you’d get that smile. For the people who live there, Rita was someone they could count on: a familiar face, a gentle voice, comfort on good days and hard ones. She was patient and kind, and she always spoke up for the people she supported. She made sure they were heard, respected, and cared for the way they deserved. Rita’s compassion didn’t end when her shift did. She was also a counselor and gave so much of herself to her community. Helping people wasn’t just her job. It was who she was.
Rita’s legacy lives on here at CMA through her son, Patrick, a member of our Day Habilitation team. Anyone who knows Patrick can see his mother in him: her kind spirit, her love of laughter, and a smile that lights up a room. Patrick, we are so sorry. Please know your CMA family is holding you close.
We continue to think especially of the people who live at Carleton. Rita wasn’t just staff to them. She was part of their everyday lives, someone they trusted and loved, and that loss runs deep. We are continuing to be there for them with patience, gentleness, and plenty of room to grieve and remember in their own ways.
Rita was a wonderful DSP, but what we’ll remember most is the kind of person she was. Being a good person isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being kind when no one is watching, being patient when the day is hard, and caring for others even when life is asking a lot of you. Rita kept showing up for the people she supported, for her coworkers, and for her community. That’s what made her so special. The best way we can honor her is to keep showing up for each other, too.
To Rita’s family, friends, and everyone who loved her: we are so deeply sorry. Rita will be missed more than words can say, and she will always be part of who we are at CMA.
