Rose Sestero

Rose Elizabeth Sestero
1916 - 2013
Rose Elizabeth Sestero, 97, of Boise, Idaho died April 24, 2013 at a local care center of natural causes.
Rose was born on March 28, 1916 in New York City, NY to Francis and Katherine Sheridan. Both her parents emigrated from Ireland in the early 1900's. Rose's Irish roots and strong Catholic faith were always important to her throughout her life. She attended Ladycliff Academy and Ladycliff College in Highland Falls, NY and graduated in 1937. After graduation, she worked as an administrative assistant at CBS Headquarters in New York City.
During her college years she met Enzo F. Sestero, a student at Fordham University, at a college mixer. They dated during college and while he attended medical school at Georgetown University. At the end of Enzo's medical service in the South Pacific during World War II, Rose met him in San Diego, CA and they were married on April 28, 1944 in the United States Naval Base Chapel. Dr. Sestero then served as a medical officer in Sun Valley, ID, where they lived for six months.
Following this they returned to New York City, where Dr. Sestero started a medical practice and their first two sons were born. Enzo's desire to return west took them to Hailey, ID, where he practiced medicine until 1948. The family moved to Boise, ID in 1948 when Dr. Sestero became the founding medical director of the American Red Cross Blood Center. Two more sons and a daughter were born in Boise and the job of raising five children became Rose's full-time activity. Rose and her husband believed in the importance of a Catholic education, and all five children attended St. Mary's School for grade school and St. Teresa's Academy or Bishop Kelly for high school. Rose was also a proponent of higher education, and all five children obtained bachelor's degrees or higher.
As her children went through school, Rose was active in social auxiliaries and served as PTA president at both St. Mary's and St. Teresa's. She also belonged to the St. Mary's Altar Society, Catholic Women's League, and Loretto Club. She was also a member of the Ada County Medical Society Auxiliary. She always loved to play bridge, and found time as her children grew to be active in bridge groups at both St. Mary's and the Boise Red Cross. Both bridge groups played regularly for over 50 years.
Rose was preceded in death by her husband Enzo, her brother Phillip, and two sisters, Mary and Frances. She is survived by her brother Donald Sheridan of Mystic, CT and her five children: Robert (Liz) of Spokane, WA; Richard (Marie-José) of Danville, CA; Ronald of Boise, ID; Paul (Maria) of Boise, ID; and Mary Ann Hicks (George) of Mountain Home, ID. She has sixteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 29, 2013 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Boise, with burial to follow at Cloverdale Memorial Park. Fr. Faucher will preside. Reception following at Willow Brook Clubhouse.
Special thanks to Willow Park Assisted Living and Hearts for Hospice for their attentive care and comforting during Rose's last days. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Rose's name to the Bishop Kelly High School Foundation.