Retirement has not stopped Marcia Ramatowski from spending most of her days teaching and tutoring in Jefferson City.
Ramatowski is retired from teaching music in the Jefferson City schools, but she continues to work with the drama club at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, as well as tutor students who need help with reading.
She said her love of music comes from her grandmother, who used to play the piano accompaniment for silent movies.
"She was the instigator," Ramatowski said. "From day one, music was there."
But her love of education and teaching children all comes back to her mother, the late Amie Morrow. Ramatowski said her own passion and drive is nothing but a continuation of her mother's efforts.
"What a role model," Ramatowski said of her mother as she looked at her portrait at the ABLE office. "She just instilled that thrill of reading and going places in a book in all of us."
"She never shut down, never quit. ... And I can't give it up."
Ramatowski's mother founded the Adult Basic Literacy Education, or ABLE, program in Jefferson City in the mid-1980s and Ramatowski has been involved from the start.
"From day one, I didn't come to the meetings or anything, but if there was stuff to be done, I did it," Ramatowski said.
About six years ago, ABLE expanded into middle schools to help tutor children and prevent them from dropping out of school. Ramatowski said that was another effort of her mother before she died in 2010.
"It has just taken off," Ramatowski said. "These kids want to come, they like that one-on-one."
Her mother also began the annual book sale to benefit ABLE, which is now partnered with the Missouri River Regional Library and slated for March 11-14. Proceeds from the book sale are the primary source of funds for ABLE, outside of United Way funds received.
"It is what funds our program," Ramatowski said. "We have so many books."
ABLE Director Felicia Poettgen said for as long as she has been involved with ABLE, Ramatowski has been there as a prominent fixture and active board member.
"Marcia is just passionate about everything she does," Poettgen said.