Rose Pepe

Rose Pepe passed away from coronavirus, two weeks prior to what would have been her 87th birthday. She is loved and survived by her two daughters - Camille Pepe Sperrazza and AnneMarie Pepe; by her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her husband, Joseph Pepe; her son, Joseph Pepe Jr.; and all five of her siblings

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She leaves her family with these warm and wonderful memories:

To Mom, nothing was more important than family, and she modeled that every day of her life.

She was brought into this world by midwife, delivered in her mother’s bed in Park Slope, Brooklyn, the second-youngest of six children - and she would live in that same house for more than 50 years. Mom cherished her time with her mother so much, that when she got married, she never considered moving away. She raised her three children in the same house, nurturing an environment that allowed us to spend every meal, every holiday, every ordinary and extraordinary occasion with our grandmother. We all benefited from the close extended family relationship.

In fact, just about everyone in that 8-family apartment building was a relative - Mom’s brothers lived there with their families which meant we kids were always with our cousins. If, over the years, someone who moved into the building wasn't an actual blood relative, they were still considered family - "cumares." The doors to our apartments were not only left unlocked, they were wide-open, and Mom and Grandma invited everyone who walked up the stairs and through the hall to come in for coffee, cake, dinner... or maybe even a Scotch and water or Manhattan.

In the summer, there were family gatherings, stickball games, and daily barbecues. Mom would cook, transferring Tupperware containers of food to the backyard via a clothesline from the fire escape of our third-floor apartment. Aunt Rose - Mom’s cousin - who lived in the apartment house, often joined us, and AnneMarie remembers all the wonderful summers, swimming in the backyard‘s pool, and the friendly Poker games at night. Our home was always filled with company, and Mom loved that.

Every Sunday it was our tradition to travel to visit Mom’s sister, Aunt Mary, where we would spend the day. With our cousins, we would put on shows, and sing songs while gathered around the piano. We learned one never missed a Sunday macaroni and meatball dinner with the family. No matter what. It was a wonderful way to be brought up, always surrounded by family.

One of the saddest days for Mom was when her mother passed away, and she had to move from the place she had called home her entire life.

But opportunity knocked for her to buy a two-family house with her daughter, Camille. And when AnneMarie got married, she moved a whole two blocks away. And so Mom was still surrounded by family every day, and this made her happy. Now it was she who helped raise her grandchildren - Stephen, Nicky, and Bernadette - just as her mother had helped raise her children. Now it was another generation blessed to have their grandparents in their lives on a daily basis, enjoying their great-grandmother's macaroni pie, Aunt Mary's fish salad on Christmas Eve, and learning how to play card games like Uno.

Camille recalls that it is only because Mom was there in the same house that she was able to accomplish so many of her personal goals, as she was able to work multiple jobs and earn college degrees at night, secure with the knowledge that Mom was there to cook dinner for the kids, help with homework, and take care of them when they were sick. She is forever grateful.

Mom was always a caregiver, and she did it with love and pride. When Dad became incapacitated, Mom did everything for him during the long twelve years of his living hell, unwavering in her commitment to love and care for him forever.

When he passed away, we thought Mom would finally have some time to herself, but it was not to be. About six months after his death, we got more devastating news - our brother had terminal cancer. Mom picked herself up and moved to another state for nearly a year to take care of him.

Sadly, she did something no mother wants to do - she outlived her child.

Her life would never be the same, but Mom had two daughters she saw every day.

A caregiver her entire life, Mom knew how difficult the job was, and never wanted to become the person who needed care. But that was not to be. The remarkable woman who cared for everyone, would eventually need caregivers herself, an adjustment that was not easy for her.

We are all blessed to have had Rose Pepe in our lives, the most caring and committed mother, wife, grandmother, and great-grandmother who personified the importance of family values, a matriarch whose presence can never be replaced. But the family values she instilled live on. That is the legacy she leaves us, and we are grateful for those precious gifts.