Rosemary Chachere Rao

shy of the 10th anniversary of the passing of her beloved husband, Frank, who died on his 92nd birthday, December 5, 2014. Together, they raised five children:

Theodore “Ted” Rao (Karen), Paul Rao (Joan), Brenda Passante (Jack), William “Dub” Rao (Connie) and Sharon Medford (Pete).

Those 5 children gave Rosemary 12 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren.

Her parents, Roland “Bobe” and Sadie Chachere, and three of her four sisters have preceded her in death: Vonceil Trahan, Norma Lee Dupre and Ramona Quirk. She is survived by her sister, Wilda Dupre.

Everyone knew Rosemary was the “life of the party!” Her joy was contagious and she boldly faced any and every challenge with confidence, making difficult tasks seem easy. Known as MawMaw or Mama Rao to everyone she met, she held her arms open wide forall to join her in life’s great adventure.

As a native of Opelousas, LA, Rosemary moved to Houston and graduated nursing school at St. Joseph Hospital, later joining the Cadet Nurses Corp serving in WWII. Following that, she worked alongside world-renowned transplant surgeon Dr. Louis J.Girard as his surgical assistant for 35 years. She traveled the world with him, frequently on Air Force One, to operate on kings and presidents. After retiring, she volunteered at Southwest Memorial Hospital for 15 years, also serving on the Board of Directors.

Rosemary was competitive in sports, games, cards and life. She was a winner! She took great pride in showing off her family every chance she got and would introduce each of her children in social settings. She was a faithful and loyal friend to many, and surely counted among the faithful, as she was devout in her prayers and love for all.

She was a great cook and meals at her house were an unforgettable experience! The epitome of entertaining and hospitality, everyone felt welcomed and included in events. There are certain “buzz words” the family became accustomed to: Memories of the bay house years are still vivid, punctuated by an occasional warning of “Ship Wave!” (to warn all the grandkids who were swimming or fishing) that a huge wave was approaching. Any gathering was a special event to her, but if there was a band, she

would request “We Are Family,” she and dad would take the center of the dance floor, followed by their children and grandchildren. Eventually, she would turn to the entire gathering and spread her arms wide. She would call out, “We Are Family; Come and dance!” If anyone hesitated, believing they weren’t a part of the family, she would point at them and say, “We are Family … Come!”

It was how she lived her life and everyone was invited. May we all carry on her tradition of inclusion … Come and dance!

The Recitation of the Holy Rosary for Rosemary will be held Friday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford, immediately followed by a visitation from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

A funeral service will occur Friday, December 13 at 12:00 p.m. also in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home,12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford.

The committal service will follow, via funeral procession to Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale St. in Houston.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions in memory of Rosemary Rao be directed to St. Laurance Catholic Church, 3100 Sweetwater Blvd, Sugar Land, Texas 77479.