Rosemary A. Schiavone

Rosemary Cocchiola Schiavone, the beloved wife of the late Alphonse (Al) Schiavone, died peacefully at her home in Cheshire on November 23, 2023. Rosemary was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on January 15, 1928, the daughter of the late Bernard and Rose (Lucas) Cocchiola. She is survived by her three daughters, Leslie Stewart (William) of Branford, Claudia Schiavone of Branford, and Tracy Rams (Armando) of Guilford. 

Rosemary graduated from Waterbury Catholic High School in 1944. After graduating, she worked at Benrus Watch Company in Waterbury, where she met Al, her future husband. She was employed by Hobson and Motzer in Durham for over 30 years, continuing to work there into her eighties.

Rosemary dearly loved her entire family, but her grandchildren held a special place in her heart:  Daniel Stewart of Portland, Oregon, Ryan (Carolina) Stewart of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Kirstin Woods (Ryan) of Weston, Vermont, Alissa Rams of Arlington, Virginia, Tripper Rams of Brooklyn, New York, and her precious great-granddaughter, Elaina Rose Woods. She shared her love of art, theater and music with her grandchildren and brought them to museums, plays, bookstores, and of course, the mall. She supported them in all of their activities, spending countless hours watching them play sports, attending their concerts, and watching them in plays. She was the most devoted, loving and caring grandmother you could hope to have.

Rosemary was a passionate and skilled artist who would lose herself in her art.  She began taking oil painting classes seventy years ago. Over the years, she continued studying other mediums including watercolor, pastels, and colored pencils. She was excited to learn new techniques and continued to be actively involved in ArtsPlace in Cheshire into her 90s, studying both colored pencil and pastel under Rita Paradis, her mentor and close friend.

Rosemary cherished time spent with family. She looked forward to trips to art shows and scenic drives throughout Connecticut for a bite to eat. She loved searching out antique and knitting shops and gardens along the way. Some of Rosemary’s cherished memories included family reunions and “Cousins’ Sundays” at the lake in Harwinton with her cousin Elaine and extended family. She loved going to jazz concerts, NYC plays, and Martha’s Vineyard with her brothers- and sisters-in-law.

One of her favorite pastimes was playing games, especially Setback, which she took very seriously. In recent years her daily routine was having her morning cup of coffee and doing Wordle. She taught Wordle and Sudoku to her caregivers.

People who met Rosemary fell in love with her.  Whether it was her joy for living, her denial of aging, her creative spirit, her sense of humor, or her desire to know you and your life story, all were drawn to her.  She was a strong, intelligent woman, a great lady, and will be dearly missed by many.

She was predeceased by her brother, Philip, and leaves behind her brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Deanna Cocchiola of Watertown, her sister-in-law, Grace Cocchiola of West Hartford, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Rosemary cherished her relationship with her caring neighbors Michael and Becky Formica and their children. She loved Michael as a son.

Most recently Rosemary was cared for in her home by a group of angels on earth.  Lorissa and Marie Brooks, Brenda Gonzalez, and Melissa Santos. Her family will always be grateful for the loving care that they provided as well as the care from Dr Maria Stack.