Rose-Marie Conway

Surrounded by family and love, Rose passed away on Friday February 9th after 7 months of living with breast cancer, and 49 years of being awesome.  If your stock portfolio includes holdings in the Roots or ‘Life is Good’ apparel companies, Coca-Cola, or some of our nation’s leading chocolate concerns, you can expect a notable market correction in the short term. Rose was predeceased by her parents Raymond and Lucille Conway.  She is already missed more than words can say by her husband Tim and her beautiful daughter Jessie, and her Soft Coated Wheaten, Mickey.  Rose is survived by her brother Tom and his children.  This loss will be felt deeply by a large collection of aunts, uncles and cousins on the Conway and Lacombe side of the family.  To the Linehan-Massimo-Zister clan, Rose was a cherished sister in law and aunt.  After a lifetime of putting the needs of others before her own, Rose’s loss will be mourned by countless friends far and wide.  There will no doubt still be lots of laughter when the girls get together in Vankleek Hill, but there will be considerably less snorting. Tim always told Rose that she was so smart and talented that there were an embarrassing number of ways she could have made a living, including but not limited to: interior design, landscape architecture, being a professional musician, starting an animal sanctuary, or providing powerful burp sound effects to the television and film industry.  In the end however, Rose chose teaching.  Or maybe, and more fortunately for the rest of us, teaching chose her.  For 25 years, Rose taught her students to love technology, language, and music.  Mostly though, she just taught them love.  The music room at St. Mary’s was always a safe space for kids and staff alike to be with each other, to talk about their lives and families and fears, and to jam.  Our family is feeling this loss deeply, and it means so much to know that it is being shared with our school family. Rose loved gardening, and her yoga classes at Karma Lifestyle Yoga Studio.  She loved walking Mickey down at the beach.  She loved watching her students busk on the sidewalks of Cobourg or gig all around Central Ontario.  She would say things like “Tim, Cleopatrick are going on at The Moustache Club in Oshawa, Tuesday at 1:15 a.m. You can come if you’d like or I can just go by myself”.  Most of all though, Rose loved Jessie more than anything in the world.  The sun rose and set for her.  Watching Jessie figure skate or nail a trumpet solo would bring Rose indescribable joy.  That Jessie has been able to experience this loss with grace and grit and so much love is a testament to Rose as a mother. Our family looks forward to greeting yours this week as we celebrate Rose’s life.  A visitation will take place on Thursday February 15 at MacCoubrey Funeral Home in Cobourg, from 2-4 pm, and then from 6-9 pm.  The celebration of life will be held at the Cobourg Lion’s Centre at 1 pm on Friday February 16.  Condolences received at www.MacCoubrey.com.