Rosemarie Doremus, age 89 years, of Flemington, NJ, died suddenly but peacefully on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at home.

Born on May 29, 1933, in Jersey City, NJ, daughter of the late Albert and Teresa Ambrosio Bonomo, Rosemarie was raised in Astoria, Queens, NY, and had lived in Branchville, NJ, from 1954-1963, when she and her husband, Fred, moved their young, growing family to Flemington, where she has resided ever since.

If you knew Rosemarie, you knew she was a loving and devoted mother, steadfast and compassionate in all her endeavors, and all the while always having fun!

Growing up in an Italian catholic family in New York City shaped Rosemarie’s persona in the sense that she always liked to be on the go, doing something, and family was of paramount importance. She spent many days with her cherished grandparents, which would have a dramatic effect on her as she herself aged.

It was at a chance meeting in the early 1950’s at Culvermere, a vacation hotspot in Sussex County, NJ, where Rosemarie would meet young Mr. Frederick Doremus, from Branchville, NJ. They parted ways after that summer vacation and she sent him several cards, never being sure they would get to Fred. The next summer, they met again at Culvermere, and the rest as they say, was history.

Uniting in holy matrimony on February 20, 1954, in Jersey City, NJ, the couple would be blessed with five children-Fred, Patti, Janet, Michael, and John-who remember Rosemarie as very present in their lives. She supported them at every turn, and was one of the loudest cheering moms at any sporting or event they were involved in.

Small but mighty, Rosemarie ensured that her large family knew they were loved, had three homemade meals each day, and were always encouraged to use their God gifted talents to make the world a better place. Her skills in the kitchen were exemplary. Never following a recipe, she would recreate Italian recipes that had been in her family for generations, and no matter the time of day, if someone visited or just randomly stopped by, the food came out quickly and in abundance.

She and Fred made many happy memories with their children over the years with summer vacations to Ship Bottom, NJ, and their camping trips up and down the east coast being among the most memorable while the kids were young. It was the days of a station wagon and pop-up camper for six people; there were no cell phones, and you made your own fun as you went.

Though her daughter Janet passed on in 1993, and her husband Fred passed in 1995, Rosemarie forged on, never letting life get the best of her. She knew that staying active and living each moment was the only successful recipe for life, and since she loved to cook, this came naturally to her soul. She had an affinity for traveling, especially in her later years. Rosemarie loved her many trips to Italy, Switzerland, and Amsterdam with her cousin, Carole, along with traveling to Belgium and France with her long-time companion, Bruce.

She had many hobbies, most of which started and ended with doing what she did best for the next generation, and that was supporting her grandchildren. From school plays to lacrosse games, Rosemarie was there for everything, and her presence was always very known, especially by the other team.

From Italian language classes to piano lessons, from dancing all the time to relaxing at the beach, Rosemarie lived to have fun, create meaningful memories, and be there for others however she was able.

This idea of being there for others is reflected in Rosemarie’s professional life, as she served as the director of the original Meals on Wheels program in Hunterdon County, then served as the first director of the Senior Multi-Purpose Center. From 1985-2004, Rosemarie served as the Executive Director of the Hunterdon County Office on Aging. Growing up with her grandparents present in her life allowed Rosemarie to see what aging does on every level, from social, to psychological, to medical. She herself never believed she was “old”, and that is how she approached her career: as one aged, they needed different levels of support and Rosemarie found it her duty to ensure those needs were met and systems put in place to support the larger population.

She immersed herself in age related causes and served as President the New Jersey Association of Area Agencies on Aging; was a 1995 delegate to the White House Conference on Aging; was a founding board member of the New Jersey Foundation on Aging; was a board member of Hunterdon Helpline; was a mediator for twenty years with the Community Dispute Resolution Program; and delivered Meals on Wheels during her own lunch hour while serving as Executive Director of the Hunterdon County Office on Aging.

Simply put, Rosemarie ensured dignity would always be present in the lives of people as they aged. It is worthwhile to note that while she was working on many macro projects to benefit the community at-large, she never forgot about the individual seniors with whom she came into contact, and if you knew Rosemarie, you had a lifelong friend and advocate.

With her faith as her North Star, Rosemarie was a longtime communicant of St. Magdalen Church, Flemington, NJ, where she was a member of the Rosary Altar Society and many other parish ministries.

Rosemarie’s legacy of a being a loving matriarch and unwavering advocate for senior adults will not soon be forgotten. To honor her life, is to simply be kind to others, and to be there for them using your own God given strengths that she fostered the development of in each person, no matter their age, that she encountered. Rest in the sweetest of peace you have earned, Rosemarie, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

In addition to her parents and husband, Rosemarie was preceded in death by her brother, Albert Bonomo, Jr. in 1982, and a daughter, Janet Herron in 1993.

Surviving are her children and their spouses, Fred J. Doremus, Patti and Henry Danilewicz, Michael and Debby Doremus, and John and Erin Doremus; her grandchildren, Bill Herron, Theresa and her husband, Troy Fox, Dana Herron and her longtime companion, John Ryan, Corey Doremus, Shannon Doremus, Dylan Doremus, Jordan and her husband, Michael Silveira, and Kyle Doremus; her great grandchildren, Miguel, Derek, Emily, Cairee, and Artemis; several extended family members; and many, many dear friends made through her advocacy of all peoples.

Rosemarie will lie in repose on Sunday, August 7, 2022, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Rev. James DeFillipps will take place Monday, August 8, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Magdalen Church, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ. Everyone is kindly requested to meet directly at the church on Monday morning at 10:15 a.m. Kindly follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival.

Interment will follow mass in the family plot at St. Magdalen Cemetery, North Main Street, Flemington, NJ, and to which all are welcome.

You are encouraged to visit Rosemarie’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to Meals on Wheels in Hunterdon, via mail to 5 Walter E. Foran Boulevard, Suite 2006, Flemington, NJ 08822, or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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