Marilyn Bosworth Rossi, beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend passed away on Sunday, November 26, 2023 in The Villages, Florida with her family by her side. She was 74 years old.
Born in 1949, in Newark, New Jersey, she attended Dunellen High School. In 1968 she met Bruce Rossi, when he flirted with her at a stoplight as she was driving her new car. They ultimately fell in love and married. A few days before their wedding in 1971, a hurricane flooded their wedding venue. Despite a last minute change of venue, a random parishioner walking across the altar mid-ceremony, and a band whose sheet music was stolen, Marilyn always remembered it as being the best wedding and never wanting the night to end. Her choice to live with unending positivity, excitement for the little things, and infectious enthusiasm in all situations was inspiring to witness.
In 1977, Bruce and Marilyn settled in Somerville, New Jersey and had two daughters, Erica and Jenna. While raising two children, she went back to school and served as President of the Part-Time Student Government Association. Her tenaciousness led her to graduate Cum Laude from Raritan Valley College with a degree in marketing, and in true form was asked to give the commencement speech, which she delivered with her usual aplomb.
In 1987, the family moved to Union Township, New Jersey. Marilyn, who loved to read and believed that education was paramount to children’s development, became very active in the school system; running the annual book fair for the elementary school (unabashedly soliciting/guilting authors to come to the school to speak to students) and developing, implementing, and teaching an art appreciation program inspiring students to learn about art and artists around the world. She was a constant and vocally supportive presence at each and every activity her children participated in (and there were many), was an active member of the PTA, and was elected to the Union Township Board of Education where she advocated tirelessly on behalf of character education.
Marilyn became known for her impeccable hospitality due not only to her amazing cooking skills, but also for her love of spending time with family and friends and her natural warmth. She was easy to talk to, always made everyone feel welcome, and made every interaction feel lovely and special through thoughtfulness and intention. Her blueberry pancakes, Thanksgiving stuffing, and Death by Chocolate were legendary.
As her children got older, she had more time to focus on her hobbies. A gifted artist and photographer, Marilyn was proficient in many mediums including oil, acrylic, alcohol ink, stained glass, glass fusion, and designing and crafting jewelry. She also loved gardening and spent hours tending to all manner of flowers, plants, and trees across her many gardens.
Marilyn worked for nearly twenty years in client services for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance before retiring in 2013. When she and Bruce moved to The Villages in 2015 she became an “active senior”. She volunteered with Operation Shoebox as a table captain assembling care packages for deployed service members stationed overseas and was instrumental in the formation of the “Our Corner” social club where neighbors got together to connect.
She was a committed member of the New Jersey Club, where she served as the entertainment chairperson and an enthusiastic member of SHYNE, a wellness club. She loved to swim and dance, was a novice golfer, and spent many hours with friends playing cards and Mah Jongg. Ever curious about culture, food, and art, she and Bruce were avid travelers – visiting various countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as cities and small towns across the United States.
In June 2021, Marilyn suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Ever the fighter, for the next two and half years she worked hard through therapy and neurological rehabilitation to rebuild her life. Her family was with her every step of the way. When asked whether she was bitter or angry about the stroke she responded that she was thankful for the lessons she learned – that the most difficult parts of life were opportunities for reflection and growth – and grateful for the additional time she was able to spend with her family.
In July 2023, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. It progressed rapidly and she died of pneumonia with her husband and daughters by her side.
Besides giving the best hugs, having the most beautiful blue eyes and the greatest laugh (punctuated with the occasional snort), Marilyn was a devoted wife and mother and loved immensely by all who knew her. She will be missed tremendously. Her legacy will be that she led with love and lived her life with curiosity and fearlessness – she loved to learn, was not afraid of trying new things, and relished in “being a beginner”.
Marilyn is survived by her biggest fans: her lifelong dance partner and husband of 52 years, Bruce and her loving daughters Erica (John Medici) of Alexandria, VA
and Jenna of Arlington, VA. She is also survived by siblings Elizabeth Balunis, Patricia Bosworth, Maureen (Curt) Kozielec, and Dan (Sue) Bosworth.
She is predeceased by her parents, Daniel Phinney Bosworth and Avitus Bosworth, her brother-in-law Donald Balunis, her constant companion Clyde the Wonder Dog, and granddog Buster.
Cremation arrangements are entrusted to the Baldwin Brothers Funeral & Cremation Society in Lady Lake, Florida. There are no public services planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Marilyn’s memory to the National Forest Foundation (nationalforests.org), an organization devoted to nature and sustainability.