Rita Menzies

A Tribute from Agassiz Artistic Director, Paul Marleyn

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Rita Menzies, Agassiz's Festival Director from 2004-2014 and then President from 2016-2025, passed away on Thursday, June 19th, peacefully and surrounded by her family. She is deeply missed by us all at Agassiz.

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As Agassiz’s Artistic Director, I have been privileged to work with Rita over the last 20 years, often in daily contact, observing her inspiring set of values and her extraordinary work ethic, and her dedication to serve the arts community of Winnipeg and Manitoba. And serve she did for so many years: for 25 years as General Manager of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, 21 years as Festival Director and later President of the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival, and as Interim Operations Manager and Executive Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

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When I first arrived in Winnipeg in 1997, I joined MCO as Principal Cellist and soon witnessed Rita’s warmth and excellence, and the universal respect held for her, in her leadership role at MCO. After her retirement from MCO, she was twice helicoptered in to help out the WSO, in decisive moments, and I understand that she steered the ship back to safety and good financial health in both cases, cementing her reputation as one of Manitoba’s most highly respected leaders in its arts world. When I heard in 2003 that Rita was retiring from MCO, I didn’t waste a moment before asking if she’d like to meet. I was planning to invite her to join Agassiz as Festival Director. Over a most enjoyable lunch she asked me for current and past budgets, information on the board, past history, By-Laws etc. - a lot of information. She was clearly a thorough person. She was not easy to convince, but fortunately I prevailed.

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Rita then gently and patiently began to use all her considerable experience and skill to develop and lead Agassiz. She believed firmly in areas of expertise in an organization, and established and respected the boundaries of those areas. She was strictly respectful of my own area of expertise as Artistic Director, and she expected to be respected in her area of activity and expertise - frankly an easy task! Rita, as I soon discovered, had a truly amazing work ethic. At 9am, six days a week, she would start work in her home office, at least that was my guess, formed not without evidence - many a day did I receive an email from Rita at 9.03! She didn’t work to deadlines, or do only what was needed. She likely put in five times the hours for which she was paid. She developed the organization, and she worked every day - her famous and proudly-Mennonite work ethic. Rita had extraordinary values, values about which she never preached. She simply followed them, and inspired those around her to do the same.

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The highlight of Rita's years as Agassiz’s Festival Director was the International Cello Festival of Canada in 2011 - a huge and memorable triumph, and the final event in Winnipeg's Cultural Capital of Canada celebrations. After a most successful 2nd cello festival in 2014, Rita decided to step back from Agassiz, to enjoy a well-earned retirement. She was so deeply missed, that we gave her 2 years off, before asking her if she’d consider re-joining Agassiz as President. I was ecstatic when she agreed!

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So what was Rita famous work ethic? In her work, she was always clear, direct, capable. business-like, generous, well-organized and efficient. In everything she was also scrupulously honest, also in important meetings with sponsors, supporters, the Winnipeg Arts Council, etc. I began to see from where the universal respect for her came. She never sugar-coated the situation, or omitted unfavourable information. She gave the full facts, and I saw how strongly trusted and respected she was amongst Winnipeg's cultural elite. Rita also believed in watching every $, and controlling the budget in her organization. She was also quite careful about who joined the board, making sure that we didn’t make mistakes. Once we received a complaint from an audience member. She welcomed it, commenting; “You have to worry when you hear nothing from the audience.” She was always snappily dressed, for board meetings, zoom meetings, concerts and all occasions. I once commented on her and Don’s nice deep red Mercedes SUV; her dryly humorous response; “You’ve got to keep up the image!” 

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Despite her exceptional profile and achievements, Rita always remained grounded and self-effacing. She was self-confident, but never needed or sought to impress. She avoided the stage and public attention, yet somehow quietly lead her workplaces with elegance, industry, effectiveness, kindness and wisdom. There was also considerable strength and determination in Rita - but a strength combined with kindness, patience and intelligence.

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Before the advent of zoom, Agassiz Board meetings would often be followed by a delicious and generous pot-luck dinner, and Rita’s dish was often the highlight. Rita had a wonderfully dry, perceptive and revealing sense of humour, and her comments could stick in your memory and make you smile for days. She was proud of Don in many ways, his work as an organist, and of the season-sensitive electrical system that he set up in their home. This system controlled when lights were turned on and off, and curtains were opened and closed etc., in the evenings and mornings; Rita commented; “When we're reading in bed at night, the lights go off when Don’s system decides, I just have to accept it!”

 

Chi and I will never forget the evening we spent at Jennette’s charming home in Chelsea, Quebec. Rita was in her element that night, surrounded by two of her daughters - Jeannette and Jennifer. Here was another treasured side of Rita - the devoted mother who was wonderfully humorous, fun-loving, and endlessly kind. And then there was the meal itself - Rita's legendary cooking skills on full display, every dish prepared with the passion and excellence she brought to everything she did..

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Like so many others, I feel enormously blessed to have enjoyed Rita's friendship for so many years, and to have been able to work with her for two decades. Behind everything was Rita’s love of life, her family, music, the arts, of people and of the Winnipeg community. Rita gave us all such a magnificent example of what the qualities of honesty, kindness, hard-work and love can achieve. How fitting that Rita worked in the frontline of Winnipeg's arts community until a few weeks before her passing - she was always keen to contribute and to help others.

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What a wonderful human being Rita was, and what a huge and remarkable contribution she made to Winnipeg's and Canada's arts community. Her family, her many devoted friends, and countless colleagues, will cherish her memory and her spirit for many, many years, as I will.

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Paul Marleyn

Artistic Director

Agassiz Music, Inc.