There are gardens in Anton Pirozek's backyard. Each flower, each plant that adorns this sacred place was chosen by his late wife Rosemary D. Pirozek. Each flower, each plant that is budding today was planted by Anton and his children. "I remember taking her to buy flowers and plants for the gardens my brother, father and I made for her," Joseph Pirozek, the eldest son of Rosemary and Anton, recalls. "The memorial garden we have in the yard of my father's house is probably the best tribute we have given her to date. We still fill the flowerpots with the plants she chose every year... so that a part of her is still around the house."
And as the Pirozek's memorial gardens are lured out of their somber winter sleep and Rosemary's flowers begin to bloom, something else is reborn: memories of what seemed like lifetimes shared; hopes of meeting Rosemary again in another time, in another place. Each flower is a symbol of life lost and life gained. Each member of Rosemary's family is a witness to her life and, as the gardens tell her story, the words of her loved ones keep her immortal. As long as Spring continues its yearly schedule and Rosemary's smile does not fade from the minds of her family and friends, Rosemary D. Pirozek will never be forgotten."She knew how to get her own way."
Rosemary D. Pirozek was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 5th, 1952. Her family moved to North Arlington, New Jersey, when she was two years old. Ro, as most of her loved ones called her, was an energetic, rebellious child. "She knew how to get her own way," remembers Rosemary's mother, Celia Marino, who on many occasions chased the rebellious Ro around her kitchen table with a slipper just to halt her rambunctious behavior.
While Celia and Frank Marino ruled their household with an "iron fist," so to speak, Rosemary had a happy, comfortable childhood. She was afraid of spiders. A turtle terrarium sat in her kitchen window. Her summers were spent in the backyard pool with her brothers, Michael and Frank, and her youngest sister, Virginia Marino. Riding bicycles and playing dodge ball in the street kept Ro and her siblings busy and, most importantly, out of Celia's hair for an hour or two.
"We put our whole vacation in a fifteen year old's hands."
The Marino family always looked forward to family vacations. Most of their family vacations were spent in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. One year, however, Celia and Frank let Rosemary decide the vacation destination. "My mother and Aunt Rose were sweating because they had no idea where this place was and they were like 'Better be nice when we get there," Virginia Marino recalls. "And what was she? All of fifteen years old? We put our whole vacation in a fifteen year old's hands."
Rosemary loved family vacations more than anything. When she had a family of her own, she made sure to keep the tradition alive. "Every summer we took a vacation as a family, even if it was a long weekend down in Wildwood," Joseph Pirozek remembers. "My mother made sure we did things as a family, not only us but my Aunt Virginia and Aunt Kathy's families came with us sometimes." "School was our whole world."Rosemary attended Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, New Jersey. Her favorite subject was English. She received 2nd honors in academics. "School was our whole world," states Kathy Roe, Rosemary's best friend. "The rules and the nuns made it more fun." Rosemary and Kathy were inseparable growing up. It was them against the world up until junior year of high school, when the social scene became a bit more prominent. And even then, in the midst of high school drama, they managed to stay as close as ever, even up until Rosemary's last days.
Kathy remembers the wild nights of youth when she and Ro used to leave their engagement rings stashed at home to go dancing together: a night on the town. Whether it was sharing secrets, learning new dance routines or drooling over Ro's favorite Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, in "16 Magazine," Kathy and Rosemary had a friendship so rare that it even continues to this day with Rosemary's family, in Rosemary's absence.
"Please don't dance and sing for everybody!"
One cannot recollect Rosemary's childhood without mentioning her love for dance. Rosemary loved to entertain. "When my mother had company, I used to cringe," Virginia Marino states. "I would hide as far as I could hide and they would say 'Come On!' and I'm like 'I'm gonna kill you, Ro!' I used to beg her, 'Please don't dance and sing for everybody! I don't want to have to do this.' She was always the entertainer." When asked whether Rosemary played on any sports teams, Kathy laughed hysterically and responded "We danced!" When not putting on a show for her family and friends, Rosemary was dancing in Glee Club or performing at Summer Stock. Once, in the spring of 68/69, Rosemary and Kathy got kicked out of Glee Club for performing a dance to "Mission Impossible." It sounds pretty innocent, right? Well, the props were two rifles: real rifles full of blanks. And when Sister Victoreen got sight of them, well, one could only imagine why Rosemary and Kathy were forced to leave the club. Rosemary danced until the day she dislocated her knee while performing a recital solo to a Psychedelic Jazz routine. She did, however, receive a standing ovation for her performance.
Rosemary's knee injury did not stop her from entertaining. As a teen, Rosemary was the lead singer of a cover band, playing the most current radio music of the day. Her band performed a New Year's celebration at the VFW and a handful of weddings, as well.
"We got to watch 'Dukes of Hazzard' all the time and she hated that!"Rosemary held a number of jobs. Most of them revolved around customer service. In high school, Rosemary worked at the Emerald Drug Store in North Arlington. After high school, she attended the Catherine Gibbs Secretary School in New York City, which landed her a secretarial job at CBS. She later went on to be a Sales Manager at Macy's Department Store and a Sales Representative for Micro-Warehouse and Verizon. Working nights often left Rosemary's husband, Anton, at home with their children, Joseph, Steven and Kristen. "We got to watch 'Dukes of Hazzard' all the time and she hated that!" Joe recollects. "I used to crash all my toy cars into the walls and break them. I kept her on her toes."
"When I first met Rosemary for the first time I knew, then, she was my one true love and soul mate for life."When Rosemary Marino and Anton Pirozek celebrated their first year of dating, Anton gave her an enormous Topaz stone. Rosemary loved it. She was amazed at its size. She was used to simple jewelry. Rosemary, from the very beginning, was never as serious with anyone as she was with Anton. "When I first met Rosemary for the first time I knew, then, she was my one true love and soul mate for life," Anton states. "I have fond memories of all the good times we had and the rough times we struggled through. Never rough, as far as our relationship. Only rough times, when money got tight and we may not have agreed on what to do."
Rosemary and Anton were married in September of 1973. After having lost her first child, Rosemary was delighted when she discovered she was pregnant with her first son. "Having her first born, Joe, was her happiest memory," states Virginia Marino. "She couldn't wait for Joe to be born." Joseph Pirozek was born on August 3rd, 1978. Steven Pirozek, her second son, was born November 16th, 1981. And if two boys weren't enough, Anton and Rosemary added a third addition to their family, their beautiful daughter, Kristen Pirozek, born on October 27th, 1991.While the children often gave Rosemary a run for her money, Anton was a bit of a handful as well. "Did he ever tell you what he did to her new kitchen set when they were first married? They had gotten a brand new kitchen set. He decided to build a model sailboat on top of it," Kathy recalls. "So, he makes it and lifts it off of the table and there are outlines of the sailboat on the kitchen table from where he had built it. I thought she was going to kill him."
"What did the word family mean to her?" "Everything."On December 18th, 2003, the doctors diagnosed Rosemary Pirozek with breast cancer. Two years and five months later, on May 27th, 2005, Rosemary Pirozek passed away, at the young age of 52.
"I will never forget the last week of her life," Joseph Pirozek states. "It was the hardest thing I have ever had to experience. We could talk to her but she couldn't talk to us. We just held her hands and kissed her and told her we loved her. The day she passed away our entire family was in the room with her. My brother, sister, grandmother and myself were holding her hands as she drew her final breaths. It was more beautiful than sad. Not many people get to be there when their loved ones pass on."
Rosemary has left her family with lifetimes of memories and a legacy so simple, so everyday, so amazing, that it will be difficult for anyone to ever forget her. Her children will always remember her grace and her courage. Her husband will always remember her kisses. Her sister will always remember her wit and her humor. Her best friend will always remember her loyalty. "She was a good person," Marion Rhoda, Rosemary's godmother and caretaker recalls. "I looked forward to taking care of her. I loved shopping with her. I loved her very, very much." While sadness will weigh heavy on those who loved and knew Rosemary Pirozek this 27th day of May, her family and friends continue to live their lives with Rosemary in their hearts. "I miss my mother terribly," Steven Pirozek states. "But I know I must go on and continue to make her proud. Even though she is not physically here, her spirit lives on in all of us." "I will always remember my mom," Kristen Pirozek, Rosemary's only daughter and the youngest of her three children, recalls, "as a strong woman and a loving and caring mother."