Rosemary Kennedy

1927 - 2023

Rosemary Kennedy
Born: November 2, 1927 in Sycamore, IL
Died: October 22, 2023 in Maple Park, IL
Rosemary Kennedy, age 95, of Maple Park, IL, passed away at home, Sunday, October 22, 2023, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family, and now claims the promise of her Savior. She was born November 2, 1927, in Sycamore, IL, the first child of Richard and Anne (Kramer) Finley. Rosemary grew up on the family farm northeast of Genoa and attended the one-room Ney school near her home. At the age of 15, the family moved to Maple Park and continued to farm while she attended Maple Park High School. After her graduation in 1945, she enrolled at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing, in Elgin, where she completed her R.N. certification three years later.
On November 20, 1948, Rosemary was united in marriage to Thomas N. Kennedy at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Maple Park. They began their new life together on Elm Street where they started a family that would eventually number nine children. She was a devoted wife and mother. In addition to the mundane but essential tasks of homemaking for a family of 11, she attended untold numbers of PTA meetings, helped out at the elementary school as a room mother and chaperone of field trips, fashioned homemade Halloween costumes, den-mothered a group of Cub Scouts, baked, decorated, and generally made life fun. She had the luxury of being a stay-at-home Mom and made the most of it. She was kind, steady, and present for her children, Tom and Rosemary had been married for 40 years when Tom was called home to Heaven in 1989. Rosemary continued to live in and love her home on Elm until she moved to her present address in 2003. After 20 years as a stay-at-home Mom, Rosemary returned to nursing at Northern Illinois University Health Service, where she worked for 20 years. She was a parishioner of St. Mary's in Maple Park for over 80 years, where she helped in a myriad of ways. She was a member of the Cenacle Guild, taught CCD, and felt honored to become a Eucharistic minister. Rosemary also worked as an election judge in Maple Park for many years. Rosemary had a crafter's heart and an artist's eye. In middle age she fell in love with quilting and spent 30 years creating hand-quilted pieces for herself and her family. The adult coloring craze and jigsaw puzzles were favorites as well. She loved to travel, and in later years visited many destinations, but her favorite was a trip she took to Ireland with her sister Charlotte and others. Rosemary was a teller of stories and had a lovely sense of humor that turned everyday events into entertainment. She now leaves 8 children: Patrick (Mona) Kennedy, Mary Kennedy, Tim (Sally) Kennedy, Nora (Kim Joiner) Kennedy, John (Debbie) Kennedy, Dick (Gena Rice) Kennedy, Sue Kennedy and Jim (Katie) Kennedy; 8 grandchildren: Thomas Kennedy, Elizabeth (Jeff Warner) Kennedy, Nathan (Christy) Kennedy, Ian (Alyssa) Kennedy, Darcy (Ron) Mayry, Joel (Natasha) Kennedy, Kayla (Devin Hanley) Kennedy and Mitchell Kennedy; 11 great-grandchildren: one great-great grandchild; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She now is reunited with her loving husband Thomas; her parents Richard and Anne Finley; one daughter, Rosanne Kennedy; one grandchild, Jon Rice; her siblings: Charlotte (John) Mosher and Robert (Patsy Jo) Finley and their spouses who preceded her in death. Visitation will be from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. Additional visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., Monday, October 30, followed by Mass, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 123 Countyline Rd., Maple Park, IL 60151. Interment will follow at St. Mary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com where you can read Rosemary's full life story.