Rosemary Frances Fogarty, 74, of Benton Harbor, loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, passed away after battling a long illness on October 21, 2020.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 A. M. Tuesday, October 27, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Watervliet. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 4 to 7 P.M. with a prayer service being held at 7 P.M. at Duffield & Pastrick Family Funeral Home in Coloma. Those wishing to leave an online message of remembrance may do so at www.duffieldpastrick.com.
Rosemary was born on September 12, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. Known as “Ro” to her close friends and family, she spent her youth in Chicago and attended Little Flower Catholic High School where she met the love of her life, Thomas Fogarty Sr. The couple graduated high school in 1963 and married on October 30, 1965. They settled in Benton Harbor, Michigan, bought a farm, and raised their family of five children. Tom and Ro were married for 55 years. Rosemary focused her life around her family and working on the farm. She and Tom owned and operated Artistry Hair Crafters Salon for 29 years. Rosemary also worked for Family Farm and Home for 10 years. She was a 4-H leader and enjoyed canning the bounty of fruits and vegetables raised on the farm. Rosemary had a great love of animals, especially her horses and border collies. She looked forward to spending time with her grandkids and great-grandkids. Rosemary fiercely loved her family and gave everything she had to provide for them. She was a loyal friend and selfless in how she cared for others. One of a kind, a rare beauty, small but mighty, and sassy to the end. She is loved. She is missed. The passing of this beautiful woman will leave an eternal scar on the hearts of her family and all who loved her.
Rosemary’s parents preceded her in death.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas Fogarty Sr., her sister, Arlene (Wayne) Dierlam, her five children Therese (Thomas) Cremonte, Thomas (Laura) Fogarty Jr., Jeanette (Keith) Schmidt, James (Velenda) Fogarty, and William (Carrie) Fogarty. Fifteen grandchildren; Andrew (Claire) Cremonte, Briahna (Drew) Kaiser, Jeffrey Cremonte, Thomas (Delaney) Cremonte, Ashley Fogarty, Elaina Fogarty, Patrick (Sarah) Corteville, Kyle (Alexas) Corteville, Katherine Schmidt, Brianna (Tim) Gould, Dakota (Luke) Hettig, Devyn (Isak) Visser, Paul (Stephanie) Fogarty, William Fogarty Jr., and Nicholas Fogarty. Also surviving are ten great-grandchildren; Kellan, Alice, Brock, Wyatt, Derek, James, Riley, Reagan, Abigail, and Allin, and one niece; Colleen (Allen) Whale.
Posted On: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:46 AM
