Rose Marie Lewandowski

Rose Marie Lewandowski passed away peacefully on Friday, February 8, 2013 in Lakeland, FL after a long and courageous battle with COPD. She was a tiny, feisty woman who fought hard and survived many things, but her illness was a struggle she could not overcome. Born March 19, 1936 in Missouri to Milton and Agnes Thompson, Rose Marie lived in many towns throughout the mid-west with her family. She and Carl Lewandowski married in 1957. They spent the next three years living on Coronado Island, CA where Carl was stationed with the US Navy. They settled in Metuchen, New Jersey to raise their family for 25 years prior to their retirement. Rose Marie was a devoted wife, mother and nurse. She worked as an RN for several years before becoming the Nursing Student’s Lab Coordinator at Middlesex County College. After retiring from MCC, she worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield for several years as a case manager. Rose Marie was a long time communicant of St. Francis Cathedral, Metuchen and St. Barnabas Church, Bayville. Rose Marie loved to be near the water. She and Carl took many ocean cruises so they could see the world and they loved to sit on their deck in Bayville, NJ to watch the boats go by during the day and watch the stars twinkle at night. She re-located to Florida in 2009. Rose Marie will be missed by her family and dear friends. Predeceased by her husband, Carl, she is survived by her three sons and their wives, Chuck and Lois of Tampa, FL, Tom and Jane of Milton, VT, John and Janis of Metuchen, NJ; her grandchildren, James, Timothy, Elizabeth, Meredith, Christopher, C.J., Thomas and John, her brother George Thompson of Alpharetta, GA, her extended family and many wonderful friends. A Funeral Mass will be held at 9:00 a.m. on April 20th at St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Metuchen, New Jersey. Donations may be made in Rose Marie’s name to The Monsignor Richard A. Behl Endowment Fund St. Francis Cathedral School c/o Barbara Stevens, M.S., Principal 528 Main Street Metuchen, NJ 08840