Obituary
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Rosemary Lalonde (nee Gerwing) on May 27, 2020, in her 91st year. She was born on February 19, 1929, the 14th of 16 children! She will be remembered by all for her love of teaching, music – especially singing, gardening, her dedication to her family, her deep faith and her lifelong commitment to service in the Catholic Church. Rosemary was a child of the Depression and always remained appreciative of the simple things in life. She was generous and giving and always put others before herself.
Rosemary was born in Spencer, Nebraska, but her family immigrated to Lake Lenore, Saskatchewan, joining the rest of the German Gerwing clan in 1933. She grew up on a busy farm in a very large and loving family who worked hard but also really enjoyed praying and singing German songs together. In 1952, her love of music took her and her brother Alphonse to Stowe, Vermont, where they took part in a summer choral camp with the Trapp Family singers, an early highlight in a lifetime filled with wonderful musical experiences and accomplishments. Al and Rosemary developed a friendship with the Trapps that led to the Trapps coming to Lake Lenore, and Rosemary corresponded with Rosmarie von Trapp for years (as they were the same age.)
After graduating from “Normal School” (Teacher’s College in Saskatoon), Rosemary began teaching at the Arras school, a one-room schoolhouse not far from Lake Lenore. So began her 30 some-year teaching career. A large part of her teaching life was spent sharing her appreciation of music with her students and volunteering as a school choir director. She guided many successful boys and children’s choirs throughout her teaching days.
All who knew Rosemary can attest to her uncanny memory. Not only could she recall what feast day each event was associated with a half-century ago, but she could often remember the names of her many students as well as their family members! Her extended family often consulted her when trying to chronicle family history.
Rosemary married her handsome French Canadian soulmate, Berchmans Lalonde, on July 11, 1964, in Lake Lenore. After their wedding, they moved into a house in Calgary, Alberta, where they began their beautiful marriage journey of 56 years. They shared in the sorrow of the loss of their first child, Frederick Lalonde, who was still-born. A little over a year later, they adopted their son, Thomas, and two years after that, their daughter Anneliese. Their family was now complete.
Rosemary continued to teach, and the family moved to an apple orchard in Kelowna, BC, in 1979. Her appreciation of homegrown produce and her love of flowers was cultivated in her extensive and beautiful vegetable and flower gardens. Rosemary was known for her gorgeous hollyhocks and delicious vegetables. A few days before she died, she was so excited to have planted some tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers.
She thoroughly loved entertaining family and friends. She could whip up a meal in no time at all for the many visitors who stopped by. It certainly was a hub of activity in the summer months as literally hundreds of family members and friends enjoyed visiting “Aunt” Rose and “Uncle” Bert on the orchard, every summer. And many enjoyed the absolute treat of her home-cooked meals made with fresh-from-her-garden vegetables, fruit from the orchard (freshly picked or canned), Rosemary’s prize-winning apple pies, and her made from scratch homemade bread. Then once the meal was done, it was off to the living room to gather around the piano with family and friends to sing!
All her life, Rosemary dedicated time as a volunteer in every Catholic parish she lived in, be it in Saskatchewan, Alberta, or BC. Her entire time in Kelowna (since 1979), she was a dedicated member of St. Pius X Church. She took on roles such as music director, cantor, RCIA leader, reader, Catechism teacher and member of the Catholic Women’s League executive. And she kept going literally until the day she passed – still actively involved in helping to lead music and read at daily masses and maintaining an active leadership role in the CWL. Other church activities that she was involved in over the years were organizing international smorgasbords to bring the community together, fundraising for various causes, and helping with the church bazaar.
We cannot forget how she enjoyed her bridge games over the years, and she spent many happy afternoons and evenings playing bridge with relatives, local friends around the city, fellow residents at Northwood, Thomas and his wife Jenny, and her grandkids, Kieran, Gabrielle, Callum, and Teresa. She also loved to play Lexulous on the computer with two nieces, Marina and Pam. She loved it so much it was the first thing she did every morning after getting up. Most recently, she began to expand her computer gaming skills from Lexulous to include online bridge. Not bad for a 91-year-old!
Keeping in touch with family was also so important to Rosemary. We will greatly miss her many letters, Christmas cards and emails, especially her monthly email to family, highlighting the family birthdays that were being celebrated that month, accompanied by a few stories.
Rosemary and Bert were also involved with much charity work. For twelve years, they tirelessly ran the Kelowna chapter of Canadian Food for Children, many of those years directly from their basement. They would collect food and materials from all across the Okanagan, driving in their van (which often broke down) to pick up donations, bring them to their house or later, other locations, to pack, and then deliver them to Penticton. Rosemary would direct many lively ‘packing’ parties in their basement – the packages sent to needy families in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia…wherever they were needed. Additionally, Rosemary’s brother Alphonse was a humanitarian and dedicated his life to helping the street children in Brazil. He worked with the Rainbow of Hope organization, and then when he passed, the Alphonse Gerwing Foundation was established to continue his work. Many of Rosemary’s fundraising projects helped raise money for the Alphonse Gerwing Foundation.
Underlying everything was Rosemary’s deep and unwavering Catholic Christian faith. It was a constant throughout her life, and she shared her uncompromising beliefs with such strength of character. Every day she spent praying the rosary with her loving husband Bert, a tradition that began on their honeymoon and continued right up to the day she died. And her ability to recite prayers for every occasion was inspirational. It reflected the strong foundation of faith her family had built going back to when she was a little girl back in Nebraska and then Lake Lenore. During her last months, she experienced great inspiration and joy rereading the entire Bible, especially the Acts of the Apostles. God didn’t bring her home until she had finished it all! Rosemary demonstrated how to live a faith-filled life and positively touched the lives of so many people by living, as best she could, the core values of her faith.
We know you have been welcomed into heaven with open arms and are singing four-part harmonies with your family and friends. We will always be thankful for you teaching us what is important in life, sharing your values, and providing us with unconditional love. You have been a loving and faithful wife, an absolutely wonderful mother, a generous and thoughtful grandmother, and a kind friend. You are the strongest woman we know.
Rosemary once wrote, “A long time ago, I was having a sleepless night. About 2:00 am, I began to think about ‘home,’ and my problem just drifted away in a wave of peacefulness. I feel Ma and Pa are still watching and caring for their family as they always did, and we shall try to give our children the same spiritual strengths that we got from them and everyone else who formed part of our life”. We know you are now the one watching over all of us and guiding our lives”.
Rosemary is survived by her loving husband Berchmans, and her son Thomas (Jenny) Lalonde and granddaughter Teresa, and her daughter Anneliese (Tim) McFadden and grandchildren Kieran, Gabrielle and Callum, her sisters Laura Berscheid and Polly (Maurice) Merkosky, sisters in law Julie Gerwing, Hedwig Gerwing, Rita Gerwing, and many nieces and nephews and cousins. She is predeceased by her parents John Gerwing and Amalia Shulte, siblings Ewald (Irene) Gerwing, John 1 Gerwing, Sophia (Anton) Buttinger, Esther (Jim ) Grant, John Jr. (Evelyn) Gerwing, Gerhard Gerwing, Clement Gerwing, Hugo Gerwing, Alphonse Gerwing, Felix (Eleanor) Gerwing, Fred 1 Gerwing, Henry Carl Gerwing, and Fred (Marie) Gerwing and brother in law William Berscheid.
For anyone wishing to make a donation in honour of Rosemary’s life, donations can be made to the Alphonse Gerwing Charitable Foundation or Pro LIfe Kelowna / The Kelowna Right to Life Society. Both organizations carry out work mom was passionate about supporting.
In memory of Rosemary’s (our mom’s) life, the following services will be held at St. Pius X Church (1077 Fuller Ave.) in Kelowna BC:
1) Monday, June 8th – Prayers / Celebration of Life starting at 7:30 pm
– Presided over by Fr. Peter Tompkins
2) Tuesday, June 9th – Funeral Mass at 10:30 am
– Presided over by Fr. Peter Tompkins
– This service will be for Rosemary’s immediate family, out-of-town relatives, and some of her closest friends.
3) Wednesday, June 10th – Memorial Mass at 10:00 am
– Presided over by Fr. Gerald Sekanga
– This service will be for the rest of Rosemary’s closest friends and all her other friends from St. Pius X Parish and beyond who couldn’t be accommodated at her Funeral Mass on June 9th.
– Rosemary’s ashes will be present at this service.
It is with great sadness that we will have to limit the attendance at each service to a maximum of 50 and follow all the other strict Covid-19 protocols as defined by the BC Ministry of Health and supported by the Diocese of Nelson for gatherings of this kind. Protocols will include the recommended social distancing measures, sanitization of surfaces, option to wear face masks, and more.
The family is compiling the Guest Lists for each service which is such a difficult thing to do, knowing the positive impact that Rosemary had on so many lives. The 50 spots for the Prayers / Celebration of Life on Monday, June 8th and the Funeral Mass on Tuesday, June 9th, have been filled. However, if you would like to attend the Memorial Mass on Wednesday, June 10th, please contact Rosemary’s son Thomas (via email: papayapearls@hotmail.com) to let him know as he will be filling in the spots available for that mass. All the names for each of the 3 lists will be given to Everden Rust Funeral Home so they can help facilitate the signing in of guests as they arrive. Each guest will be required to sign-in beside their name and provide a phone number. Thomas will be contacting you to confirm your spot on a list. We deeply regret (and mom would hate) that we have to do this but it does allow for as many of us as possible to gather together to celebrate and honour the life of a most wonderful, special, deeply treasured woman.
The Prayers / Celebration of Life and Funeral Mass (on the 8th and 9th) will be videotaped and livestreamed. If you would like to join the livestream of both services, you can access the link by visiting Moms obituary through Everden Rusts Tribute Page.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rosemary Roberta Lalonde please visit our
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Rosemary Roberta Lalonde February 19 1929

May 27 2020..

everden rust funeral services & cremation

Death notice for the town of: Kelowna, Province: Colombie britanique

death notice Rosemary Roberta Lalonde February 19 1929

May 27 2020

mortuary notice Rosemary Roberta Lalonde February 19 1929

May 27 2020