Office Doors: Rita Brock Perini

OFFICE DOORS

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RITA BROCK-PERINI

Rita Brock-Perini was born in Phoenix and attended St. Mary’s High School in the 1950s. The daughter of a Marine Corps veteran, and one of 10 children, she grew up volunteering with her family at the American Legion. “Because there were 10 of us, we were always folding napkins and cleaning tables. Anything to keep us busy and out of the way,” she said.

In those days, the Legion did a lot of hands-on work in the community. Brock-Perini’s mom let her work in the clinic where babies received well-checkups from volunteer physicians. “I used to weigh the babies. I always thought that was so exciting,” she said.

Those early experiences sparked an interest in both the military and nursing that has extended throughout her life. Brock-Perini went on to serve in Vietnam as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps. After leaving the military in 1971, she graduated from nursing school at ASU with the help of the GI Bill and went on to work for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services