Rosemary Gabrielle (Phillips) Repanich

After almost 99 years of a life well lived, the heavens welcomed a loving, caring, beautiful soul with a great sense of humor and sharp wit. A wonderful mother of eight, grandmother of nine and great grandma to Kensie, Rosemary joined her forever love, Sam, their parents, brother, sister and friends in Heaven. Rosemary passed peacefully at home in West Seattle surrounded by her children. Always worried about her kids, she let her family know all was well by supplying a vertical rainbow to the clouds on Alki Beach the morning of her passing and a yellow bloom on a family rosebush in San Jose.

Rosemary Phillips was born in Seattle Washington on March 25, 1920. Her parents Annie & William and her older brother Joe provided a loving family. They grew up in the house her grandfather built right across the street from Holy Names Academy. Rosemary graduated from Holy Names like her mother before her (1899) in 1938 and attended the University of Washington & Seattle University. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi and was active in volunteering, many sports, and singing as she had a truly beautiful voice. A love of music was one of the many gifts she passed along to her family.

She married Sam Repanich in September of 1953 and celebrated 53 wonderful years together until Sam’s passing in 2006. Rosemary is survived by her eight children: Marie, Steve (Susan), Mark (Lynn), Ann (Ross), Mike, Matt (Becky), Jo, Jacque (John) and her nine grandchildren: Samantha, Hilary (Eric), Josie (Drake), Daniel, Sara, Chris, Alyssa, Madalyn, Jackson and her great granddaughter Kensington.

Rosemary loved participating in and watching sports. She was a competitive bowler, volleyball & tennis player and avid golfer not to mention an excellent ping pong opponent. She loved golfing with her favorite partner Sam and said it was a great way to be together in nature and one of their secrets to a long and happy marriage. She imparted her love of sports to her kids and grandkids (who especially loved when Grandma Rosemary was watching in the stands and would occasionally ask the ref if they needed to borrow her glasses - as she had a keen eye for a bad call). 

Rosemary’s Catholic faith was a great comfort to her in her blessed journey and as the bright angel we know she is, it was always funny when she mentioned “I might not get in on the first pass” ~ but without a doubt the trumpets were announcing her entrance that very day and she was shown the express line. 

Private services will be held in Seattle on a nice sunny day in the summer (as Mom requested) at Our Lady of Guadalupe 7000 35th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126.

In lieu of flowers, our Mom would like you to do something nice for someone today and enjoy the life God gave to you ~

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