Rose (DeGeorge) Fazio

Rose DeGeorge was born on September 5, 1921, but we have always celebrated her birthday on September 7, the day on which her baptismal certificate says she was born!! Last year we had a wonderful 100th birthday celebration with friends and family.

Rose was born in the Bronx, NY, the second of 4 sisters. First was Rosalie, then Rose, Katherine and Josephine. Her parents, Giuseppa Puma DeGeorge and Sebastiano DeGeorge were immigrants from Sicily, Italy. The family name was DiGiorgi or DiGiorgio but it somehow got shortened at Ellis Island.

Soon the family moved to Canarsie a small town in Brooklyn, NY and eventually bought a 2-family house. The sisters enjoyed life in Canarsie making lifelong friends. Their dad, Sebastiano, ran a butcher shop. Their mom, Giuseppa, became a land lord and worked in the garment industry. Canarsie was a place where neighbors cared about each other and knew how to have fun.

Rose loved school and learning. She was always the best speller. When she graduated from Junior High her mother said no more education and sent Rose off to work in the garment industry. Not being able to go to high school was something she always regretted. Rose met her future husband Salvatore Fazio in the Canarsie house. He lived with his sister Angie and her family on the top floor. Sal’s parents were also immigrants from Sicily. This was around 1944 and WWII was raging. Sal was drafted into the Army and was sent to Panama where he contracted a lung disease and was sent home. They married on April 8, 1945 and then moved into that upstairs apartment.

Canarsie was home for quite some time. Two children came along, Sandra and then Joseph. After almost 20 years there, Sal’s lungs couldn’t take the cold and off to California they went in 1963. First Fullerton, Buena Park and then to their own house in Garden Grove. Then lo and behold, all that sunshine produced their third child Laurie. And what a blessing she was. Rose lived in that house in Garden Grove for over 50 years.

Sal’s health improved in the warm California weather and they had a very good life in Garden Grove. Laurie and her friends were always in and out of the house. Along with friends, the house was always filled with pets, both domestic and wild. They had good friends from The Italian American Club and the Elks. Unfortunately, his illness caught up with him and he passed in 1979.

Rose had much to learn after she was on her own. She became independent and took care of herself, Laurie and her home. She even worked as a school librarian until she retired. She loved to garden, was a wonderful seamstress, sewing most of her own clothes and her children’s. She had the most beautiful roses in her front yard. And her home-grown tomatoes were the best. Always a great cook, she made wonderful Italian dishes. We still make her favorite recipes: fig cookies at Christmas, homemade pizza, ravioli, pesto and her clam sauce…so good.

Then the dementia came in her 90s. Rose lived in her own private world for the last part of her life. We don’t know what she was thinking or feeling. We just loved and cared for her.

We will always have the good memories and we are glad mom is at peace now.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 19th from 5pm to 8pm, including a Rosary service at 7:00pm, Light refreshments will be served beginning at 5pm, at Westminster Memorial Park Mortuary, 14801 Beach Blvd. Westminster, CA 92683

Rose will be laid to rest with her husband Salvatore Fazio at Riverside National Cemetery on Wednesday, April 20th.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to:

The Alzheimer's Association - https://act.alz.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/westminster-ca/rose-fazio-10693038