Obituary for Rosemary F. Conway (Condon)
Rosemary was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, by her loving mother and father, Anne and Joseph Condon. She had two older brothers, John and Frank Fitzpatrick, who cherished and protected her. As the youngest and only girl, she was the princess of the family and the twinkle in her father’s eye. She attended St. Catherine of Siena grammar school and Trinity High School, setting a solid foundation for her strong faith and devotion to God, which she carried with her throughout her life.
Rosemary met her husband, James Terrance Conway, at a family wedding. They married and began their family life together in 1953. They turned out to be quite productive with family life, having 14 children together. They raised their family of eight boys and six girls in River Forest, IL as members of St. Vincent Ferrer parish. Rosemary is survived by twelve loving kids: Joseph (Dana), James Terrance (Margo), Ann, Kathleen (Fran), Carl (Lupita), Linda, Robert, Colleen (Tom), Thomas (Jennifer), William, Brian and Michael (Kayoko). Her heart was broken after losing two adult daughters, Mary and Patricia. She was a wonderful mother, amazingly patient and caring, making each of her 14 kids feel special and as if they were the only one. She calmly protected all her kids while also encouraging them to be independent and self-sufficient.
She was blessed with 25 grandchildren (Heather, Sean, Kevin, Jim, Kelly, Brian, Jason, Lisa, Andy, Tracy, Michelle, Matthew, Chris, Alyssa, Lauren, Patrick, Jack, Piper, Will, Jonah, Megan, Sadie, Annie, Emma, Sara) and was “GG” to 14 great grandchildren (Ivy, Bryn, Miles, Conway, Shiloh, Kendalyn, Dawson, Nolan, Miles, Tegan, Aurora, Rhiley, Keaton, Jaxstyn) with two more on the way.
Simply by being herself, she shared with her family the importance of listening, caring, loving, respecting, and having compassion. She was completely unselfish, always putting others first. She dedicated her life to being there and caring for her family. She wanted to know what was happening in the lives of her kids and grandkids and, remarkably, she would remember everything shared. In her free time, her hobby was to worry about her family, in a way only a mother can.
After her youngest child went away to college, Rosemary found that she had more time on her hands. She entered the workforce and joined River Forest Bank as a receptionist. Through multiple changes of bank ownership over 25 years, she remained at the bank, being the constant that would greet local customers. She was a staple in the community, friends with so many people, always asking how they were doing and genuinely caring how they responded. No matter where she went in the community, someone would approach her to say hello and she would respond with a loving grace that left them feeling good.
Rosemary touched the lives of so many people over her 88 years. She leaves behind a legacy of representing the best of what we could all hope to be. She was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend of many. She was a living Angel and served as inspiration to all she touched until her passing on April 14, 2022 at Peace Village in Palos Park, Illinois.
A Memorial Mass to celebrate her life will be held at Our Lady of the Woods Church on May 4, 2022, at 10:00 am. The church is located at 10731 W. 131st Street, Orland Park, Illinois 60462.
The family asks that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Treatment Advocacy Center, 200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22203, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making treatment possible for severe mental illness.
Express your thoughts and condolences at colonialchapel.com 708-532-5400
Rosemary met her husband, James Terrance Conway, at a family wedding. They married and began their family life together in 1953. They turned out to be quite productive with family life, having 14 children together. They raised their family of eight boys and six girls in River Forest, IL as members of St. Vincent Ferrer parish. Rosemary is survived by twelve loving kids: Joseph (Dana), James Terrance (Margo), Ann, Kathleen (Fran), Carl (Lupita), Linda, Robert, Colleen (Tom), Thomas (Jennifer), William, Brian and Michael (Kayoko). Her heart was broken after losing two adult daughters, Mary and Patricia. She was a wonderful mother, amazingly patient and caring, making each of her 14 kids feel special and as if they were the only one. She calmly protected all her kids while also encouraging them to be independent and self-sufficient.
She was blessed with 25 grandchildren (Heather, Sean, Kevin, Jim, Kelly, Brian, Jason, Lisa, Andy, Tracy, Michelle, Matthew, Chris, Alyssa, Lauren, Patrick, Jack, Piper, Will, Jonah, Megan, Sadie, Annie, Emma, Sara) and was “GG” to 14 great grandchildren (Ivy, Bryn, Miles, Conway, Shiloh, Kendalyn, Dawson, Nolan, Miles, Tegan, Aurora, Rhiley, Keaton, Jaxstyn) with two more on the way.
Simply by being herself, she shared with her family the importance of listening, caring, loving, respecting, and having compassion. She was completely unselfish, always putting others first. She dedicated her life to being there and caring for her family. She wanted to know what was happening in the lives of her kids and grandkids and, remarkably, she would remember everything shared. In her free time, her hobby was to worry about her family, in a way only a mother can.
After her youngest child went away to college, Rosemary found that she had more time on her hands. She entered the workforce and joined River Forest Bank as a receptionist. Through multiple changes of bank ownership over 25 years, she remained at the bank, being the constant that would greet local customers. She was a staple in the community, friends with so many people, always asking how they were doing and genuinely caring how they responded. No matter where she went in the community, someone would approach her to say hello and she would respond with a loving grace that left them feeling good.
Rosemary touched the lives of so many people over her 88 years. She leaves behind a legacy of representing the best of what we could all hope to be. She was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend of many. She was a living Angel and served as inspiration to all she touched until her passing on April 14, 2022 at Peace Village in Palos Park, Illinois.
A Memorial Mass to celebrate her life will be held at Our Lady of the Woods Church on May 4, 2022, at 10:00 am. The church is located at 10731 W. 131st Street, Orland Park, Illinois 60462.
The family asks that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Treatment Advocacy Center, 200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22203, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making treatment possible for severe mental illness.
Express your thoughts and condolences at colonialchapel.com 708-532-5400