Rosemarie Alesandrelli

Rosemarie Alesandrelli, age 82 of Wayne and formerly of West Paterson, died on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. She has lived in Wayne for the past twenty-two years.

Rosemarie was born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and graduated from William H. Maxwell Vocational High School, where she learned hairdressing and cosmetology. She worked as a hairdresser in Brooklyn for a bit upon graduation. As a young woman, Rosemarie loved listening to fifties music as well as artists like Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, and other popular performers of that era. One of her favorite activities was attending live shows, and with her girlfriends she went to see Tom and Engelbert many times, singing and dancing the night away! Her children recall how she would put records on the Victrola and turn the volume up loud while they all helped to clean the house on Saturdays! This is why all of her children can recite the words to any Tom Jones song if asked. She loved her music and she loved to dance!

Rosemarie kept a welcoming home and “family” was always at the center of gatherings there. She often hosted holiday dinners, and her favorite was cooking seven fishes on Christmas Eve. Everyone did their part to prepare dinner, and her daughter recalls soaking squid in the bathtub! Rosemarie was an excellent cook, always traditional Italian dishes, and everything that came out of her kitchen was remarkable. She passed her love of cooking on to all of her children. When they were younger, her kids would tease her by intentionally mispronouncing her first name, or mock her for the odd pronunciation of certain words, the result of her “Brooklynese” accent. Her sons also learned early on that wooden spoons were not just for cooking. When the boys antagonized their mom, which was more than occasionally, she showed them just how good she was with a wooden spoon! There was no question that Rosemarie was the disciplinarian in their household, and she did it well. Later in life, Rosemarie enjoyed “Milne Game Night,” playing cards and board games with her family. She was excellent with trivia games, and you always wanted her on your team! Rosemarie also visited the Bahamas for a “girls vacation,” celebrating that tradition for nearly twenty years running. She would relax by the pool and savor a few Mai Tai or Bahama Mama cocktails, enjoy the good food, and then play roulette in the casino – always betting on 25!

It is important to note that Rosemarie was truly a lover of dogs. She has had many over the years, including Bo, Snoopy, Lady, Pepe, and many more. Most of them were Doberman breeds and mutts, and she spoiled them with love and attention. Pepe was among her favorites, despite running away from the yard on countless occasions, requiring Rosemarie to search the neighborhood to bring him back again. In recent years she also held a special bond with her daughter Tina’s dog Brody. She called him “the gentle giant” because of his size, but never turned down the opportunity to receive his gentle kisses.

Rosemarie met her husband, Paul, in Miami, and this wasn’t the most typical of meetings, either. Rosemarie was on vacation visiting her father, staying at “The Castaways” resort in Miami Beach. Paul, who was in the U.S. Navy at the time, was also at the resort and Rosemarie’s father, “Tony D,” met him there. “Tony D” thought Paul was a nice fella and he introduced him to his daughter!  Their relationship blossomed and they were married on June 8, 1957 in Brooklyn. They honeymooned in Miami Beach, where they first met, and then settled into their home in West Paterson thereafter. Rosemarie was just eighteen on her wedding day. Paul was a jokester, often playful and teasing, and Rosemarie was the prim and proper opposite. They went on to enjoy twenty-seven years of marriage together. Sadly, Paul was diagnosed with cancer rather young, and he passed away in 1984. Rosemarie was heartbroken without him, and the years that followed were difficult for her. Her family and friends were very supportive and she is grateful for all the love and help she received throughout the years since. Rosemarie lived independently until 1998 when she moved to Wayne and began living with her daughter, Tina Milne and her husband Jimmy. The real blessing that came from this move was that Rosemarie was able to help raise her granddaughter, Jessica, while living with them. Rosemarie thereafter became affectionately known as “Mimi” to Jessica. In addition to “Mimi” she was called “Grandma” and “Grandma Rosary” by her other grandchildren. Sadly, her son-in-law, Jimmy Milne, passed away in 2015, but Rosemarie was there to be supportive to her daughter and granddaughter during that very difficult time. Her presence there, at that time, was invaluable and they are both very grateful to her. Rosemarie will be dearly missed.

Rosemarie is survived by her four children; Tina Milne of Wayne, Paul Alesandrelli of S. Carolina, Anthony Alesandrelli of Mississippi, Lori Alesandrelli, her seven grandchildren; Jessica, Stephanie, Nicole, Donella, Anthony, Deona, and Tony, and five great grandchildren: Kayden, Skylar, Adorabella, Jaxton, and Emberlynn Grace, her five siblings; Anna Lafiosca of Saddle River, NJ, Barbara Marinello of South Jersey, Thomas Taormina of Virginia, Cathi DeRosa of Florida, and Tony DeRosa of Florida. She was predeceased by her husband Paul in 1984, by a daughter, Denise, in 1961, and by her son-in-law, Jimmy Milne in 2015.