1927 - 2024
OBITUARY
Rosemary was born at home, in Ridgewood Queens on March 31, 1927. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Rosedale and joined the Parish of St. Claire. Her father, an engineer for the City of New York, received the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained in combat during WWI. He was named after President Steven Grover Cleveland, who gave his parents written permission to name their child after him. Her mother Mary, who she adored along with her father, died from a stroke while Mom was very young. Her brother Grover, an electrical engineer, flew combat air missions in the Pacific theater during WWII. Mom, not to be outdone, graduated a year early from Dominican Commercial High School in Jamaica and began working at the age of 16. The year was 1943.
Rosemary spent the next 25 years of her life working in publishing at McGraw Hill, eventually becoming the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Vice President. She loved her job and was well respected. Occasionally, she would be whisked to Manhattan, by car, from her Jackson Heights apartment to complete critical projects on weekends, and once in a blizzard. In her spare time, she studied journalism at New York University and volunteered at both Memorial Sloan Kettering and the Divine Providence Shelter for Children in Manhattan.
She loved the city and told me stories, like when she got to see Frank Sinatra with her colleagues when he made a surprise appearance around the corner from her building, or how she watched the whole east coast go dark in stages from her upper-floor office window during the blackout of 1965. That night, a family friend who was a cop directing traffic in Times Square commandeered a passing car, put Mom and two of her friends inside, and threatened the terrified driver to take them home. He got them home in record time.
Mom then met her husband Joseph. She threw a New Year’s Eve party at her apartment and found “her Joe” eating a sandwich in her kitchen. He was a guest who had come with a group of his friends. The year was 1959, and the rest is history.
When I (her son, John) was born, she transitioned from the corporate life to doting mother in a hot second. I remember as a little boy having so much fun with her going anywhere our legs (and the subway) would take us: the park, the new World Trade Center (where Dad worked), and a thousand other fascinating places that I still remember today.
After moving from New Jersey to Long Island, Mom worked at Notre Dame School, teaching in the Pre-K program for 25 years. You cannot go anywhere in town without running into a parent or former student who does not remember Rosemary or her fun, nurturing alacrity that made school fun! She was beloved by all of them.
Rosemary left lasting impressions on so many people. Everyone who knew her, was friends with her, or worked with her all said the same things: Rosemary was brilliant, she was unstoppable, and her faith was remarkable. She touched so many lives with her infectious laugh, her low tolerance for nonsense, and her charity for all, including strangers. She also loved animals, especially strays.
Besides her family, her passion was her faith in God and her unwavering dedication to the Church. Mom went to Mass almost every day of her life, until she could no longer get there on her own. She watched the Mass on TV, prayed the rosary constantly, and instructed all not to worry: “Pray, and He will listen. Have faith, and He will protect you.” Rosemary is finally experiencing what she knew to be true all her life. He is risen, and Mom is now living with God and is again with her beloved husband, Joe. We will all miss you terribly, but we are all so happy for you.
Rosemary is survived by her son, John Janus, and will be missed by all the loving members of the Carbonel, Evans, Haas, Janus, Lewis, Lusenskas, Stallone, and Weber families.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rosemary’s name to:
St. Anthony’s Guild
The Franciscan Friars
144 West 32nd Street
New York, NY 10001-3202
Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville
555 Albany Avenue
Amityville, NY 11701-1197
VISITATION
Wednesday, April 24
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
New Hyde Park Funeral Home
506 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL
Thursday, April 25
10:45 AM
Notre Dame R.C. Church
5 Mayfair Road, New Hyde Park, NY
INTERMENT
Calverton National Cemetery
210 Princeton Boulevard, Calverton, NY