Rhonda Nappi has Died

There's a Rhonda Photo Gallery at the link. I like
this photo because it shows a palm tree on her head

Rhonda Nappi died on Thursday, September 19, 2013 and it really sucks. She was 60 when she died and was married to the same man for the last 41 of those years. She worked as a front desk assistant at the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office for the last 13 years and was very much alive for the eight years that I knew her.

I probably saw Rhonda two or three times almost every day and spoke with her on the phone more often than that. She always asked to see pictures of my children and gave me the latest updates on her two daughters and four grandkids who now live out west. It was always a joy to see her. When I had forgotten to pick up something important, she would let me in after the office was closed and she always thought it was hilarious when I would come in to check my discovery folder and ask if they had any "discovs." I have to admit, it was pretty hilarious.

Rhonda recently had an episode that lead to discovery of a brain aneurysm. She was treated and monitored in the hospital for several days. During her stay she continued to post Facebook updates and kept in touch with her friends in the DAs office. She was discharged with a good prognosis and everyone looked forward to her return in a few weeks. The next day she had another attack which proved fatal.

Rhonda's job was to be the DA office's first line of defense. She dealt with pretty much everyone who walked in the door or called on the phone. That means she spent a lot of her day dealing with assholes. Many of them defendants angry that they were charged with a crime, or citizens angry that crimes were going unprosecuted, or defense attorneys angry for reasons less compelling than those already stated. I never saw Rhonda angry or in a bad mood. Not even once. For the time I knew her, she was kind and funny and made me happy. If anyone had to go, it doesn't seem right that it had to be Ronda Nappi.

Visiting hours are 5-7 PM Monday, September 23 at Jones, Rich and Hutchins Funeral Home at 199 Woodford St., Portland, Maine. A memorial service will follow.

Here's the Obituary that ran 9/22/13 in the Portland Press Herald.
Here's the Funeral Home Page for Rhonda