Rosemarie Fornario

The family of Rosemarie Fornario is saddened to announce her passing as we celebrate her 91 years of a life well lived.  Rosemarie passed peacefully at home on Saturday, June 26 after a short illness.  Rosemarie was a proud Bronx girl, born to Stanislaus and Marie Buoninfante in 1930 in a neighborhood filled with cousins and friends.  Rosemarie fell in love on a blind date and married Frank Fornario in 1951. She left the Bronx for good in 1956 for the green pastures of Blauvelt where she has lived ever since.  Rosemarie was a stay-at-home mother to her four children, but always found time to be a part of the community with her various volunteer work with the Blauvelt Library, St. Catherine’s Church, Veteran’s Associations and the Romanesque Lodge to name a few. In 1976, Rosemarie re-entered the paying workforce as she became an administrative assistant at Orangetown Town Hall and her friendly face and demeanor greeted those doing business with the town until 2018.  Rosemarie still continued her volunteer work and added the Orangetown Museum and the Blauvelt Lions Club to causes she was passionate about.  Ever humble, Rosemarie was the very first female president of the Blauvelt Lions Club and while she was not sure she could do it, she did a fantastic job and remained with the club until her death. 

As a young woman and mother, Rosemarie only traveled as far as the Catskills where she spent summers working at a family lodge, but after 1976 she traveled with Frank incessantly.  She embarked on more than 60 cruises, visited all seven continents and even in went into “space” by flying on the Concorde.  Her favorite spot outside of Blauvelt, is Hawaii.

Rosemarie treasured all the friends that she has made throughout the years, and these friends through work, church, volunteer activities and the beauty salon were like family to her and we can’t tell you how much she loved you.  We know it was a lot though, because we experienced her love for her family as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, grandmother and great grandmother.  She was there at every event or celebration in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives and her love was endless and non-negotiable.  She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Frank; her children: Frank (Pat) of Warwick, Barbara (Keith) of Blauvelt, daughter-in-law Michelle of Imperial Beach, and Nick (Toni) of Pearl River.  She is still adored by her eleven grandchildren and grandchildren by love, and twelve great grandchildren.  She is mourned by her brother Louis (Barbara) of New Rochelle and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her son Ray and brother Stan. 

The world is a better place for having our beloved Rosemarie in it.

 A wake will be held on Tuesday, June 29 from 5-8pm at Wyman Fisher Funeral Home, 100 Franklin Ave., Pearl River where we hope to hear wonderful stories about Rosemarie. The funeral mass at St. Catherine’s, 523 Western Highway, Blauvelt will be Wednesday, June 30 at 10AM.  She will be buried at Frederick Loescher Veterans Memorial Cemetery after Mass. 

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