Rose Bosco

Rose (nee Giovannetti), born 6/22/1939, passed 4/28/2025, married to Lawrence Bosco, mother to the late Peter (Pamela) Bosco, Paul (Tiffany) Bosco, and Paula (Paul) Szum. Grandmother to Helen, Peter, Billy, Gianni, Nathan, Nico, Connor, Joey, Michael, Matthew and Brianna. Aunt to many nieces and nephews as well as a great aunt.

Rose was born on June 22, 1939 in the idyllic small town of Pieve di Compito, Italy. The third child of Fiore and Paolina Giovannetti, and the sister of the late Loreno (Gail) and the late Rudolpho (Oriana), she grew up in the midst of olive trees on the side of the mountain, the cool waters of the creek in the town, and the goats, sheep and chickens that surrounded their home. One of her most vivid memories was when her town was liberated by the US armed forces during WWII. They came through and gave her a Hershey’s candy bar, which she thought was the best chocolate ever.

She emigrated with her family over to the United States when she was 10. The family settled in Blue Island, a suburb of Chicago to be near family. There, Rose attended Mother of Sorrows school, where her fondest memories were of the nuns, the synchronized swimming she took part in, and going to school with her friends from Pieve. She attended Blue Island High after that and went on to Thornton Junior College, where she met a brown-eyed sandy blond haired Italian boy named Larry in an accounting class. Larry quickly charmed her and her mother as he spoke Italian. Rose was the practical one though, and said after a bit, “well, we should get married, we get along.”

Rose and Larry wed June 18, 1960 and settled in Blue Island to be close to family. They welcomed their first child, Peter, in 1964. Paul and Paula followed in 1972 and 1974. The first house they had on Ann Street was perfect for Rose, she started creating her garden right away. She planted all of her favorites, from tomatoes to green beans to a canopy of grapes. She planted her apple, pear and plum trees and they grew and thrived. Her Septembers were filled with canning her harvest, and she fed her family with her vegetables and fruits throughout the whole year. She was the epitome of the ‘girl with the green thumb.’ Her days were filled with gardening and her nights were filled with doing what she loved, cooking good food for her family. Her go to favorites were chicken cacciatore on polenta, homemade bread, homemade pasta and spaghetti sauce, her stuffed flowers, and always starting a meal with the phrase “mangia tutto.” She especially loved baking her biscotti, and her pride and joy, her torte. Summers were peppered with trips to the Indiana Dunes, the Italian Fest at St. Donatus, and enjoying family get togethers at her brothers’ houses.

Rose worked as a Dental Assistant when her kids got older and enjoyed helping people with their smile. She would bike every day to work, not wanting to waste gas, thereby cementing her as an environmentalist at heart. Rose was always mindful of the earth, composting and using household items sparingly, saving everything she could use. From a button to mend on Larry’s work pants to patches to mend up holes in kids pants, she would mend just about anything. She advocated for recycling cans, recycling newspaper, and always pushing her family to conserve energy in the house, much to the chagrin of her kids who loved air conditioning and leaving lights on in every room!

Rose and Larry become grandparents when their oldest Pete married Pam. Four kids later, Rose was ecstatically traveling to Westmont to help out while enjoying her new role. She reveled in becoming a “Nonna”. Rose and Larry went on to move to Palos Heights, where another round of grandkids filled her home. There, Rose had her penultimate garden. It stretched all around the backyard and spanned at least 30 feet on one side and 20 feet on another. The home had touches of her plants all around, especially her beloved lemon tree and aloe vera. The backyard played host to 11 beautiful grandkids, who grew up and played while she gardened, teaching them about the wonders of vegetables and the earth. She loved having the grandkids sleep over, treating them to the park and out to the Plush Horse for ice cream, and creating the love for “nonna’s potatoes.” In her down time not gardening, she developed her passion for reading, spanning from mysteries and biographies to her stories about the saints.

Rose got into traveling more as she got older. She always loved road trips, and made them with Larry to Iowa, Florida, and Texas to name a few states. She was always up for traveling, from going on cruises with friends to camping in the woods of Tennessee. The highlight for Rose in her travels was seeing her beloved Italy. She got a chance to go there several times and always enjoyed reconnecting with her roots.

Rose got a chance to try container gardening in Florida, where they spent their winters to escape the cold Illinois weather. She loved the Florida vibe, swimming in her water aerobics classes and bringing homemade scones over to chat with her neighbors. She would always tell her kids that they had to live there, she enjoyed it so much. From the cool evening breezes to the warm waters of the gulf, she couldn’t get enough of the sun. During the summers, Rose and Larry would come to Illinois to stay with Paul and Tiffany and their family, enjoying more time with family and seeing the grandkids grow into adults.

Rose developed dementia in her final years, and decided to stay with Paul and Tiffany. There, they took care of her and the challenges from dementia with care and love. Rose was at peace on Monday April 28, 2025.

In keeping with Rose’s personality and the kindness and gentleness of her soul, we would appreciate your consideration to donate to an organization that fights to find a cure for dementia, and increase our understanding, love and compassion for those affected by this disease.

In lieu of flowers, please make online gifts in memory of Rose Bosco to the Dementia Society of America www.DementiaSociety.org/donate.