Rosemary Allen's Obituary
ROSEMARY ALLEN April 6, 1926 – September 27, 2023. Her beginning and end is the only time where this vibrant woman followed custom. The time between the dashes was filled with stories and adventures that always surprised those around her. Rosemary was born in Flint, Michigan at home. Her early years were spent in Michigan, with many summers on the farm “with Ma” (her grandmother).
At age 18, she took the train from Michigan to California by herself to meet her uncles and explore San Francisco. It was there she met her husband, Donald Allen, and their life began together. They had four children, Deane, Richard, Suzanne and Kristina. Her oldest son, Deane, predeceased her in 1981.
Rosemary was a big cheerleader for her boys in their school sports, and when they became interested in go-kart races, she was front and center. She entered go-kart races and claimed a title or two for herself. As the years flew by, she accompanied her husband, Don, on his full-dress Harley Davidson motorcycle with the Road Runners, traveling up and down the State of California.
Rosemary had an ongoing interest in philosophy and the truths from various religious traditions. Her love of God was unconditional. She joined St. Pius Parish in 1953 and was always volunteering for countless activities in the Church, school and various fundraisers. Rosemary was proud to become a lector and Minister of Holy Communion of St. Pius Church, and she served communion at mass, local hospitals and nursing homes. When the communion was served, so were her smiles to all those receiving.
Rosemary had a thirst for knowledge and formal education. After her divorce in 1970, she persevered, re-entered the workplace, and enrolled at Canada College. She graduated with an Associate of Arts degree and continued her education at San Francisco State University and Notre Dame University with a major in Psychology. Her mantra was, “Education is the overcoat in life…take it with you everywhere.”
She had a love of dancing including ballroom and square dancing. She was especially proud of her talent in tap dancing which she practiced with a passion. Rosemary performed at a local community event when she was 70 years young and beamed with excitement as she tap danced and laughed at the audience’s enjoyment while they watched.
Rosemary’s happiest moments were when she was surrounded by family and friends. She would go to extraordinary lengths to gather the family—her favorite excursion was Hawaii. Gathering the growing clan was a bit of a challenge…like herding cats. However, she was determined, got the family to Oahu, and all basked in the warm sun. It was there that she mastered the art of surfing!
She loved to travel, and for those who knew her well, it was apparent that her internal GPS always seemed to lose its signal. Rosemary knew that reaching her destination on each trip would most likely take a bit longer to get to, but with most everything, it was all about the journey—the destination was secondary. Her family laughed when her grandson, Stephan, gave her the nickname “Get Lost Grama.”
Throughout her life and well into her 70s and 80s, she enjoyed snow skiing, water skiing, hiking and bicycle riding. She rode 30 miles to witness the sunrise on a Hawaiian volcano. Other expeditions included travel to the Middle East with her son, Richard, where she jumped on a camel to ride up Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise. She traveled to Ireland to explore heritage with her youngest daughter, Kristina. She joined her oldest daughter, Suzanne, at a working cattle ranch to horseback ride and herd cows. As physically demanding as all of this was, she never complained…or slowed down.
Rosemary was kind, caring, energetic, compassionate, vibrant, adventurous, fearless, resilient, determined, and the family cornerstone. As the journey has come to an end, “Get Lost Grama” has found her way home to God.
Rosemary is survived by her children, Richard Allen, Suzanne Negherbon, Kristina Allen, her grandchildren, Delores Palmquist Hicks, Billy Biggs, Stephan Negherbon, Jarrad Negherbon, Kelsey Kukuruza, and their spouses, nephews Michael and Peter Dean, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Pius Church Saturday October 28, 2023 at 10:30am. Arrangements are being handled by Skylawn Funeral Home. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation to Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired or your favorite charity.
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