Rosemary Kowalski

1924 - 2024

ROSEMARY KOWALSKI
September 27, 1924 - December 10, 2024
Rosemary Kowalski, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on December 10, 2024 surrounded by her family. From her modest beginnings on the southside of San Antonio to industry magnate and longtime community contributor, Rosemary became an integral part of San Antonio's history and a driver of its future as a hospitality leader.
In looking back upon her remarkable life founded upon her strong spiritual faith and commitment to serving others, it would be impossible to properly tell her story without also including her own words.
Born on September 27, 1924, Rosemary was the only child of Virginia Mergele Hughes and William Upton Hughes. First attending Blessed Sacrament Academy and Incarnate Word Elementary School, she went on to graduate from Incarnate Word High School.
In 1945, she married her Air Force sweetheart, Henry "Hank" Kowalski. Together, the couple pursued their own business dreams and using Hank's military mustering-out pay opened the doors to Uncle Ben's Bar-B-Q Diner in 1946, serving a steady stream of neighborhood devotees from a tiny kitchen. As Rosemary herself described, "we worked side by side in what was basically a 'beer joint' that catered to Trinity and St. Mary's students."
Notably too during these already-busy days, Rosemary and Hank also welcomed the arrivals of daughter Mary Virginia in 1949 and then son Greg in 1951, both of whom would ultimately take active and influential roles in growing the family business.
Word of the diner's offerings spread as did orders for its food service offsite at social and business functions. Making deliveries in "Geronimo," her 1946 Chevy truck, Rosemary became a familiar sight around town as more and more event requests were received and she popularized the business of catering - which at the time was a very unique concept, particularly one that was woman led.
Rosemary continued extending the business' reputation for exemplary cuisine and gracious hospitality. The clientele list grew to include the city's most prominent individuals and families, politicians, corporate heads, and scores of local residents seeking to host their own celebrations that had the distinctive "Rosemary touch." The business served events of every size, from intimate family gatherings to galas and other largescale affairs, including a birthday party hosted by then-Governor Dolph Briscoe for 15,000 guests.
Then In 1963, the decision was made to close the original diner and concentrate solely on catering, which fortuitously preceded the company's landmark participation in HemisFair '68 held in downtown San Antonio. During this historic global exposition, Rosemary and her team catered 90% of the VIP events for international dignitaries and provided food service for the majority of the exhibit's 112 pavilions.
As she had explained, "By the 1960's, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce had asked me to change the company name to Catering by Rosemary. My staff and I worked tirelessly with city VIPs to prepare and execute catering services for HemisFair 1968. This year-long event - where we served over 100 pavilions - put San Antonio in the national and the international spotlight. And it led to our city nurturing the business of conventions and tourism and provided a new horizon for our own business."
The experience likely inspired the City of San Antonio's decision in 1972 to award Catering by Rosemary the exclusive food and beverage contract at what is now known as the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC), which continues to this day under the leadership of her son, Greg Kowalski.
Increased service to convention clients as well as the multitudes of San Antonians who relied on Rosemary for their catering needs soon demanded larger quarters to handle the expanding business. In 1981, the company took over the former Ed Steves & Sons Lumber Yard at 1220 East Commerce Street, occupying the six acres within walking distance of the convention center. By this time, the original catering business had also grown to include equipment rentals, environment design and décor, floral design, and meeting services.
Rosemary now presided over a business that garnered global attention, with dignitaries at home and around the world choosing the company's catering and events services for their functions. In 1987, Rosemary and family personally prepared all meals for Pope John Paul during his Papal Visit to San Antonio. This was a labor of love and spiritual passion as the event required for security reasons staying overnight in the Pope's temporary residence.
Additional requests from notable personalities soon followed. In 1989, Rosemary traveled to England at the request of United States Ambassador Henry Catto to teach Texas style cooking to the Embassy Staff in London. She and her teams have catered events for other high-profile individuals including three sitting United States Presidents and First Ladies; seven Texas state governors; William Randolph Hearst; Charles, then-Prince of Wales and now King of England; and a long list of popular celebrities such as Bob Hope, Willie Nelson, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Johnny Cash, Mick Jaggar, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and countless others.
Then in 1993, Rosemary elected to focus her full attention on her already-extensive charitable and civic efforts. Assuming the role of Chairperson Emeritus, son Greg took on the position of President and CEO of the multi-company operation that was newly christened The RK Group.
Rosemary expanded her volunteerism to take on multiple board and related roles with a vast number of area organizations San Antonio Museum of Art; San Antonio Zoo; The DoSeum; Afternoon All Stars; Respite Care of San Antonio; Blessed Sacrament Academy; Texas A&M San Antonio; San Antonio Area Foundation; Any Baby Can; Daily Bread Ministries; Hope for the Future; Hispanic Heritage Center; American Heart Association; American Diabetes Association; Girl Scouts – Trefoil; Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center; and many, many others.
In 2003 she was named to Les Dames d'Escoffier, joining the ranks of Julia Child and only three other distinguished members. Previously inducted in 1998 to the San Antonio Hall of Fame, in 2004 she became only the fourth woman to be honored with induction to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, adding to her growing list of honors. In 2012, she received the Legacy Award from the Najim Charitable Foundation and in 2014 she would be named Legacy Leaders by the San Antonio Business Journal.
Her list of distinctions would continue to grow, serving in 2016 as Grand Marshal for the 125th Battle of Flowers Parade. In 2017, she donated her personal and company records to the UTSA Libraries, chronicling her journey as one of San Antonio's leading caterers. In 2018, Rosemary was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award, Corporate Philanthropy and Nonprofit Awards, San Antonio Business Journal. As recently as this year, she received the inaugural Visionary Award from Morgan's, San Antonio TX, the Marcia Nasatir Award from the San Antonio Film Festival, and had been named to serve as Grand Marshal for the 2025 River Parade.
The flagship company that began so many years ago in humble settings now numbers more than 15 specialized brands and operates on the campus of the company headquarters at The Red Berry Estate. Rosemary's legacy of hard work, always saying 'please and thank you,' is and will be carried forward by all those who cherished her insight and her genuine love of people.
Rosemary often said, "It's important to remember what's important to people you meet, and people who mean something to you." We all will remember Rosemary, her spirit, her steadfast devotion to service and to God, and the kindnesses extended to so many. And we will continue to be inspired by her acts and her extraordinary impact on countless lives. She was truly one of a kind.
Rosemary is survived by her daughter Mary, and husband John Carrington; son Greg, and wife Bekki; step-grandson John Eugene and wife Noha; grandson Travis, and wife Jamie; granddaughter Jennifer, and husband Todd; and seven great-grandchildren John Baron, Harrison, Claiborne, Colton, Tessa, Wyatt and Hadley.

Visitation
Wednesday,
December 18, 2024
12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
San Fernando Cathedral
115 Main Plaza, San
Antonio, Texas 78205


Rosary
Wednesday,
December 18, 2024
6:00 p.m.
San Fernando Cathedral
115 Main Plaza,
San Antonio, Texas 78205

Funeral Mass
Thursday,
December 19, 2024
2:00 p.m.
Tobin for the
Performing Arts
100 Auditorium Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78205
Livestreaming will be
available through the RK Group website.

The family has planned a very special Celebration of Life immediately following Rosemary's Funeral Mass.
Please join them in Celebrating Rosemary (she planned the celebration).
The location to be
announced at the
conclusion of the Funeral Mass.

Committal Service
Friday, December 20, 2024
10:00 a.m.
Holy Cross Cemetery
Mausoleum Chapel
17501 Nacodoches, San Antonio, Texas 78266

Donations can be made to The Rosemary Kowalski Endowment Fund: San Antonio Area Foundation, c/o The Rosemary Kowalski Endowment Fund, 155 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite #301, San Antonio, Texas 78216.