Rosalie J. Podlesny

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To think of Rose is to be reminded of the magic that one person can bring to the world.

Rose Podlesny nee Szczesny was born on September 23, 1937, to Joseph and Mary nee Jurczyk in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. To sum up the life that Rose lived and the people that she touched is an impossible task. There's no question that in her 89 years on earth she silently moved mountains while sharing her warmth, generosity, and grace. While we look to celebrate her life, it's difficult to capture her magic with words; rather, we remember how she made us all feel loved and cared for.

A wife, a mother, a daughter, and a sister, Rose was preceded in death by her husband John; her sons Johnny and Michael; her parents Joseph and Mary; and her sisters Helen Schultz, Betty Wolff, and Anne Marie Freres. She is survived by her beloved daughter Laura Podlesny; her cherished grandchildren Ariel and Abel Bastida; and the newest members of the family she welcomed with open arms: Abel's wife Susan, their daughter Hannah, and young son Archer. Rose passes her Matriarchal torch to not only her immediate family, but to the loving friends and extended family across the US to carry on her legacy of strength, understanding, and wisdom.

Though Rose often described herself as shy, her life told a different story. Starting from her early years of marriage, she was an amazing hostess to holiday parties at her home, took a leadership role in PTA (and was acknowledged for her service) throughout her daughter's elementary and high school years. Rose served in other various leadership roles as well, including President for two separate bowling leagues and Vice President of the Resident's Council during her residence at the then Brookdale Senior Community.

Rose was often busy creating gifts made from love; she would sew dresses for her young daughter, hook rugs, or create needlepoint crafts, but her pride and joy creations were the customized photo albums she made for special occasions like weddings and birth celebrations. Clearly talented in working with her hands, Rose prided herself on her flowering garden and small vegetable patch, which included rose bushes and tomato and cucumber plants. While she'd never admit to being an expert gardener, her roses bloomed every year.

Rose was an avid reader with a sharp wit. She was a constant learner, often joining her daughter in attending workshops, meditation classes, and more. Reveling in conversations challenging old ways of thinking, she often shared how she appreciated her in-depth talks with her sister Anne Marie and later her granddaughter Ariel. Rose even agreed to do a 10+ episode podcast with her daughter and granddaughter (yet to be released) to share how she saw societal thinking shift and develop over the years. She was one of the most intelligent and impressive critical thinkers that those close to her would come to know.

As a spiritual seeker, Rose was always open to learn more about her faith and beyond. Her faith was the thread that ran through everything. During her time as a St. Rosalie's parishioner, she found joy in both participating in parish life and the new friendships that developed. She was humbled to serve as a Eucharistic minister and participate in various parish programs, especially the annual parish carnival. This was one event she looked forward to every year.

It was this same spiritual curiosity that also led Rose into meeting and connecting with members of the Ojibwe indigenous community. She would come to be a cherished member of this new family, taking trips with her daughter and then granddaughter to "the UP" Michigan for sacred fire ceremonies. Rose was later gifted a native Ojibwe name translating to "White Angel," and a clan assignment of "Eagle Clan." She would talk about this connection with great fondness, weaving together this awareness with her understanding of her Catholic faith, the symbolism of dreams and the mysteries of Mother Mary and the saints. In doing so, she found a deep appreciation for things she had never been able to name.

Her faith carried through to Christmas, which would find her arranging the Nativity scene inherited from her parents, cooking the full Christmas Eve dinner, and ultimately gathering everyone for Midnight Mass. It was her favorite time of year.

Rose had a gift for making people feel seen and cared for. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend. She always took time to help, visit, and cheer up her elderly aunts, uncles, and friends. Rose was readily available to friends in need, whether helping her friends by driving them to appointments or driving with them across the US to help them move. She brought homemade food to family and friends, or spent hours simply sitting with people, not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

She maintained an outlook of "don't sweat the small stuff" and lived by the principles of "kindness can go a long way," "let it go," and "follow your gut." She would say, "You can never say 'why me'" when speaking about life's challenges, displaying her unwavering faith. Rose faced no small number of hardships in her life: health challenges that would have broken a lesser spirit and losses that asked everything of her, but she didn't give up. She never gave up.

To think of Rose is to be reminded of the magic that one person can bring to the world, the lives they can touch, and the change they can make while living. It is also an invitation for those who knew her to continue to move through each day carrying on her legacy of kindness, perseverance, and faith. The strongest woman many of us will ever meet, full of grace, is now home. While the world is quieter without her, it remains brighter because of everything she gave it.

Services to be announced by the family in the coming weeks.