John P. Rosmarino's Obituary
Obituary
John P. Rosmarino of Frederick Maryland, passed away peacefully on April 7, 2020, two days after his 83rd birthday, with his devoted and caring wife of 22 years, Darlene, by his side. Prior to living in Frederick, John lived in Syracuse, New York where he was born and Cazenovia, New York where he raised his five daughters, Gina Jennings of Raleigh, NC, Denise Searle and her husband, James, of Asheville NC, Bettina Rosmarino and her husband, James Schott, of Los Angeles, CA, Claudine Wispelwey and her husband, Nicholas, of Charlottesville VA and Nicole Rosmarino and her husband, Jay Tutchton, of Bent County CO. John has four grandchildren, Thaddeus James and Oliver Searle and Garrett and Lucy Wispelwey. Remembering John is best done through the words of his grandson, Oliver:
I will never forget the memories I enjoyed in his backyard. From monstrous whiffle ball games to cruising around on his mower, many memories were created there. We would also take long hikes through the woods behind his house. He always had a walking stick and would pick and eat mushrooms not really checking to see if they might be poisonous. My grandpa John was a loving, kind, brave, and inspiring man who was always singing or telling a story. He always has a smile on his face. Since my very early years of life, my grandpa had always connected me to the outdoors. Whether it was riding on his lawnmower, taking hikes, or walking to the pond, it was always more enjoyable with my grandpa.
Growing up during the tail-end of the Great Depression, Grandpa John experienced many hardships. Along with money being hard to come by, my grandpa was born to an immigrant Italian family. This early childhood experience meant that he never wasted anything and always fixed appliances and machines instead of replacing them.
Grandpa John was a professional firefighter with the Syracuse Fire Department for twenty years and won a few medals while saving many lives. In one instance, he drove to a fire where there was a woman stuck on her porch roof. Unfortunately, the ladder he brought was about 3 feet short of the porch ledge. Not wasting any time, Grandpa John had to climb onto the burning roof and stand underneath the porch. He told the woman to come to the edge of the porch and instructed her to put one leg on each of his shoulders. He managed to climb down the ladder with this woman sitting on his shoulders. Grandpa John had 2 or 3 more saves but this one was the most memorable.
John is remembered as having an incredible work ethic and great view of life, every single day. He loved talking sports, mainly baseball (Baltimore Orioles and later a Nationals fan). He could also tell you a personal experience about anything you could think of, and it would be the greatest story you ever heard. From raising five daughters to being a fireman, working in his vegetable garden, to enjoying his life with Darlene, he lived a very full life. The thing he valued the most though was his family.
In addition to his wife and daughters, he is survived by his sister, Virginia Warne and husband Robert of Syracuse, NY, his ex-wife, Kathryn Rosmarino of Raleigh, NC and several nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents, Vito and Rose Rosmarino, brother Vito Rosmarino and sisters, Viola Fazio and Victoria Stevens.
In Frederick, John worked at the Maryland School for the Deaf where he learned how to sign and learned so many things about people living with hearing loss. He made many friends in the deaf community.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, John’s burial will take place privately at Resthaven Memorial Gardens. A celebration of his life is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to Frederick Health Hospice, 516 Trail Ave, Frederick, MD 21701 or Alzheimer’s Association, 108 Byte Drive, #103, Frederick, MD 21702. Online condolences may be shared at www.resthaven.us.
To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.
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