In Memory
Rosemarie L. Hickey
Jul. 20, 1926 - Dec. 10, 2013
Rosemarie "Ro" Hickey of South Bend died peacefully in the company of her family on Tuesday, December 10 at Memorial Hospital. She was 87 years old.
Ro "Don't call me Rosemary" Hickey was born in Springfield, Ohio on July 20, 1926 to the late Bill and Victorina Lubbers. She was the eldest of four daughters, including late twin sisters Marjorie and Fran, and her surviving sister Elaine. Ro attended Marquette University, and is a graduate of John Adams High School.
After college, Ro worked at her father's RECO Sporting Goods store in downtown South Bend. It was there where, one fateful day in February of 1947, she sold a pair of ice skate laces to the dashing Jerry A. Hickey, fresh off a stint as a U.S. Naval Captain in the South Pacific in World War II. Ro so enchanted Jerry that he called her for a date later that same day, and after a whirlwind romance, they were married eight months later. They embarked on romantic bliss. That is, until Ro conceived her eldest son Mike, and over an eight year span, Ro gave birth to six children, forcing her to give up a potential career in ballet and tap dancing. Or so she claimed. She was a dedicated, loving, and fiercely independent mother to her children.
While balancing motherly duties, Ro was immersed in community activities. She was a docent at Notre Dame's Snite Art Center, board member of Children's Dispensary, member of the Junior League and Christ Child Society, and mentor to foreign students at Notre Dame. Ro had an irrepressible spirit for adventure. Her sunny spirit also radiated through the inevitable downpours during camping trips with Jerry, and she relished skiing with their friends in the alpine air of Switzerland, Austria, Colorado, and Bendix Woods.
After her beloved husband's death in 1999, Ro remained active, and was accompanied by her poodle Clancy. In her later years, she was assisted by her children's "seventh sibling," Tracy Goodin.
Ro is survived by daughters Karen Hickey of South Bend, Maureen Hickey Ervin of Woodbury, MN and Sheila Hickey Burke of Minneapolis; sons, Guru Bandhu Singh Khalsa (né Mike) of Wasilla, AK, Pat Hickey of Asheville, NC and Jerry P. Hickey of Chicago; six grandchildren; and one great grandson.
Visitation will be Sunday, December 15 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at Palmer Funeral Home - Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, where a rosary will be recited at 2:00 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, December 16 at 9:30 am in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Christ Child Society, PO Box 1286, South Bend, IN 46624, Women's Care Center, 360 N. Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617 or Children's Dispensary and Hospital, 2015 W. Western Avenue, South Bend, IN 46619. Online condolences may be left for the Hickey family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.
Rosemarie "Ro" Hickey of South Bend died peacefully in the company of her family on Tuesday, December 10 at Memorial Hospital. She was 87 years old.
Ro "Don't call me Rosemary" Hickey was born in Springfield, Ohio on July 20, 1926 to the late Bill and Victorina Lubbers. She was the eldest of four daughters, including late twin sisters Marjorie and Fran, and her surviving sister Elaine. Ro attended Marquette University, and is a graduate of John Adams High School.
After college, Ro worked at her father's RECO Sporting Goods store in downtown South Bend. It was there where, one fateful day in February of 1947, she sold a pair of ice skate laces to the dashing Jerry A. Hickey, fresh off a stint as a U.S. Naval Captain in the South Pacific in World War II. Ro so enchanted Jerry that he called her for a date later that same day, and after a whirlwind romance, they were married eight months later. They embarked on romantic bliss. That is, until Ro conceived her eldest son Mike, and over an eight year span, Ro gave birth to six children, forcing her to give up a potential career in ballet and tap dancing. Or so she claimed. She was a dedicated, loving, and fiercely independent mother to her children.
While balancing motherly duties, Ro was immersed in community activities. She was a docent at Notre Dame's Snite Art Center, board member of Children's Dispensary, member of the Junior League and Christ Child Society, and mentor to foreign students at Notre Dame. Ro had an irrepressible spirit for adventure. Her sunny spirit also radiated through the inevitable downpours during camping trips with Jerry, and she relished skiing with their friends in the alpine air of Switzerland, Austria, Colorado, and Bendix Woods.
After her beloved husband's death in 1999, Ro remained active, and was accompanied by her poodle Clancy. In her later years, she was assisted by her children's "seventh sibling," Tracy Goodin.
Ro is survived by daughters Karen Hickey of South Bend, Maureen Hickey Ervin of Woodbury, MN and Sheila Hickey Burke of Minneapolis; sons, Guru Bandhu Singh Khalsa (né Mike) of Wasilla, AK, Pat Hickey of Asheville, NC and Jerry P. Hickey of Chicago; six grandchildren; and one great grandson.
Visitation will be Sunday, December 15 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at Palmer Funeral Home - Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, where a rosary will be recited at 2:00 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, December 16 at 9:30 am in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. Burial will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Christ Child Society, PO Box 1286, South Bend, IN 46624, Women's Care Center, 360 N. Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617 or Children's Dispensary and Hospital, 2015 W. Western Avenue, South Bend, IN 46619. Online condolences may be left for the Hickey family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.
05/30/2021 DEC
|