Obituary of Rose Marie Rinaldi

Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi

1/13/1937 – 12/3/2019

The story of Rosie is a really a love story. As I try to put down words to describe her life, I fail at finding the right words to describe just how remarkable she was.  Her deepest love in life was for her husband and her children. On October 31, 2019, Rosie lost her husband to cancer. Because Rosie had dementia, her children chose not to tell her for fear this news would break her heart. It didn’t matter, she somehow already knew on a spiritual level. Her behavior immediately changed and she began a rapid decline. As she watched her husband decline in recent years, she would often worry about him and in moments of clarity she would say “I’ve loved him since I was 14 years old, I cannot live without him. I will die without him.”

And so it began, Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi (Rosie) was born on January 13, 1937 in Asheville, North Carolina to Spencer Mae Hampton Dunn and Edward Eugene Dunn Jr.  Rosie was the oldest of four siblings, along with Spencer Elizabeth (Bunny) Ferris, Edward Eugene Dunn III (Norma), and Susan Moss (Pat).  

Rosie grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain area in what was at that time country, farm lands and lots of dirt roads. She and her Uncle Richard Hampton would often laugh that they were actually from Sandy Mush. The Hampton’s and the Dunn’s had settled in the area of Asheville and Leicester for decades and farming was very prevalent for them. Rosie had a unique childhood in that Edward and Spencer owned and operated a funeral home called Dunn and Williams Funeral Home. Rosie, her siblings and parents lived at the funeral home but would often spend time nearby on the Hampton family farm with Mamaw and Papaw. The quiet respectful atmosphere of a funeral home led to a strict structured upbringing filled with church and choir activities. Often times the Dunn children would ride to school in a hearse instead of walking. Even though happy for the ride, Rosie and her sister Bunny would duck down in embarrassment as they approached the school. It is said that her much younger brother Eddie would sit up as high as he could in the front seat enjoying the attention of riding in a limo. On the farm with Mamaw and Papaw, Rosie and her siblings could enjoy a more rambunctious existence. Rosie would often talk about Mamaw and Papaw and her time on the farm with fresh air, vegetables, farm animals and having to use an outhouse because there was no indoor plumbing. This was a time when well water and pee pots were the norm for them. There is a story from Rosie’s childhood when she was playing on the farm and decided to climb up a fence that enclosed the horses. In the process of climbing, Rosie mistakenly presented her backside in the direction of one of the horses. This horse was apparently very curious with Rosie’s backside and could not resist biting her on her butt cheek. Rosie developed a newfound respect for horses and climbing fences.

Rosie came from a musical family and enjoyed singing in the choir. In her younger days, she learned to play the guitar and had the most beautiful soprano singing voice. As a young teenager, socializing was mostly in the form of organized dances. When Rosie was 14 years old, she would attend a dance at nearby St. Francis High School (all boys Catholic school). It is there, where by chance, Rosie would meet the love of her life Robert (Bob) Rinaldi. Rosie and Bob would continue to meet at organized dances and soon developed a fondness for one another that would eventually blossom into a love everlasting. Rosie and Bob became sweethearts throughout their high school years as well as through their college years. Rosie would attend Mercy Nursing School in Charlotte N.C. Bob would attend Belmont Abbey near Charlotte N.C. Each found success in their studies and although separated briefly, they never stopped thinking about one another, writing one another and visiting each other as often as they could. Even though Rosie was falling in love with Bob, she was conflicted in that she also wanted to serve the Lord as a Nun. As a devout Catholic girl, Rosie had some decisions to make. She sought out the advice from a Reverend Mother at Mercy to discuss her desire to become a Nun. It is said that the Reverend Mother would gently explain to Rosie that “you are meant to marry and have babies”. In 1958, Rosie received an Associate of Applied Science Degree from the Mercy Hospital Sacred Heart Junior College and went immediately to work at Mercy Hospital while Bob continued to attend college nearby at Belmont Abbey. Recently discovered love letters from 1955 reveal that Rosie and Bob were already talking about marriage but knew they needed to finish college first and would hope for the approval of each other’s parents. Rosie would marry Bob Rinaldi, the love of her life less than a month after graduating from Mercy. Rosie worked in the emergency room at Mercy for almost a year and then she and Bob would soon begin a family.

By 1962, Rosie and Bob would have three children, Nunzia Rinaldi-Bork (David), Robert (Bobby) Rinaldi Jr., and Lorinda (Lindy) Rinaldi (Leah). Rosie took many years away from her nursing profession to raise young children while Bob was the sole provider. With his first job in New York area, he would commute from New Jersey. Rosie maintained the household while her husband worked. In the neighborhood, it wasn’t uncommon for Rosie to provide health care to elderly neighbors or to those that were feeling sickly. She always, always took care of everyone. This was a time when neighbors knew each other, doors weren’t locked and neighbors looked out for one another. Kids played outside, climbed trees, rode bicycles and roamed the neighborhood without worry. Rosie had many friends in the neighborhood and eventually they formed a ladies softball team to compete in a local league. She was the shortstop and cleanup batter. It wasn’t uncommon for her to clear the bases when it was her turn at bat. Rosie and her husband were also on a bowling league together with some of their neighbors.  Partying and socializing with neighbors was a common occurrence. There were Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and school plays. Rosie taught her kids to ice skate, play softball, to appreciate hiking in the woods and to enjoy nature.  She had a diverse interest in music and passed this on to her children. On any given day, one or all of the following could be heard playing throughout the house: Aretha Franklin, the Clancy Brothers, Janice Joplin, Miriam Makeba, Mystic Moods or various Broadway musicals to name a few. She was fun, fiery and fiercely loyal and loving to her husband and children. You never had to wonder what was on her mind or how she was feeling. She was gifted at multitasking in that she could carry on a conversation on the phone, conduct either cooking or cleaning and discipline her kids all at the same time. Rosie had “the look” and “the finger snap” which she applied as needed to gain compliance of her children when they were misbehaving while she was multitasking. The “look” and “the finger snap” always worked on her children, it would stop them dead in their tracks. However, on occasion, fiery Rosie would empty the contents of whatever she was drinking in the direction of her husband, who at the time, obviously required discipline. Her husband would laugh, apologize, change his shirt and make up with fiery Rosie.

In the late 60’s Rosie and Bob would relocate to Fayetteville, NC to help Bob’s parents who were in the restaurant business and had suffered a loss due to a fire.  Once settled in Fayetteville, Rosie’s life changed dramatically. She and her husband Bob opened an Italian restaurant (Rinaldi’s) and they worked day and night to make this endeavor successful. She was no longer able to stay home and manage a household. During this time, she juggled her duties at Rinaldi’s with making sure her three children were safe, fed, healthy and thriving. Operating a restaurant, raising children and maintaining a household is a phenomenal feat for anyone to pull off but Rosie did it and without complaint. Her love for her husband and family was beyond measure. After about 10 years of full time restaurant work, Rosie decided to go back into nursing and chose psychiatry as her main focus. For many years, she was the head nurse of the Adolescent Unit at Cumberland Psychiatric Hospital and then from there would go on to work at the Veteran’s Hospital where she would eventually retire. Not long after Rosie retired, she would be rewarded with her one and only grandchild Chelsi Genter (Nunzia’s daughter). Rosie took an active role in providing day care for her sweet granddaughter Chelsi and loved every minute of it.

In 2000, Rosie and Bob had an opportunity to relocate to Charleston SC. They chose this area because their two daughters and grandchild were already living there. Soon thereafter their son Bobby would also relocate to Charleston. It is here she and her husband would live out the rest of their lives together with their children and grandchild nearby. Throughout her married life, vacations always included family from both sides. There was nothing more important than the opportunity to be together with family in any capacity. The majority of Rosie’s family lived in Florida and this is where she would go as often as she could. She was closest with her mother Spencer whom everyone called Tracy (who lived to be 96), her brother Eddie Dunn III and her youngest sister Susan.  Florida vacations always included about a week on a nearby beach and lots of cookouts at Eddie and Norma’s house. Rosie was blessed to have been surrounded by family from both sides of her marriage who loved her so much. For Rosie, there was no love stronger than that of her husband Bob.

Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi entered eternal rest on December 3, 2019 at the age of 82. She was at home surrounded by her children and granddaughter. The spiritual connection she shared with her husband was real. She knew her husband was departing before anyone else did. A week before her husband passed, she was sitting up in her bed with a concerned look on her face. When her daughter asked what she was doing, she said “I’m picking up your father’s last footsteps and I don’t know where to put them”. Looking back, he never did walk down the hallway again. She also told her daughter “take whatever you want” about a week before she passed. Even though Rosie suffered with dementia, she was otherwise very healthy and had the blood pressure of a teenager. Her children have no explanation for her sudden passing other than the bonds of love everlasting were so strong that she wanted to be reunited with her husband.  To know they were spiritually connected was comforting but to witness their everlasting bond was heartwarming.

Now Rosie has taken her last footsteps and she is reunited with the love of her life for all eternity. Rosie is survived by her daughter Nunzia Bork (David), her son Robert Rinaldi Jr, daughter Lindy Rinaldi (Leah) and granddaughter Chelsi Genter. She is also survived by her son in law David Bork and daughter in law Leah Crout whom she loved as much as her own.

The family appreciates all the prayers and well wishes of friends and family who knew and loved Rosie.

The family will have a private service. Flowers are kindly declined. Donations can be made to: Intrepid Hospice-through the National Hospice Foundation at: www.nationalhospicefoundation.org

Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi

1/13/1937 – 12/3/2019

The story of Rosie is a really a love story. As I try to put down words to describe her life, I fail at finding the right words to describe just how remarkable she was.  Her deepest love in life was for her husband and her children. On October 31, 2019, Rosie lost her husband to cancer. Because Rosie had dementia, her children chose not to tell her for fear this news would break her heart. It didn’t matter, she somehow already knew on a spiritual level. Her behavior immediately changed and she began a rapid decline. As she watched her husband decline in recent years, she would often worry about him and in moments of clarity she would say “I’ve loved him since I was 14 years old, I cannot live without him. I will die without him.”

And so it began, Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi (Rosie) was born on January 13, 1937 in Asheville, North Carolina to Spencer Mae Hampton Dunn and Edward Eugene Dunn Jr.  Rosie was the oldest of four siblings, along with Spencer Elizabeth (Bunny) Ferris, Edward Eugene Dunn III (Norma), and Susan Moss (Pat).  

Rosie grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain area in what was at that time country, farm lands and lots of dirt roads. She and her Uncle Richard Hampton would often laugh that they were actually from Sandy Mush. The Hampton’s and the Dunn’s had settled in the area of Asheville and Leicester for decades and farming was very prevalent for them. Rosie had a unique childhood in that Edward and Spencer owned and operated a funeral home called Dunn and Williams Funeral Home. Rosie, her siblings and parents lived at the funeral home but would often spend time nearby on the Hampton family farm with Mamaw and Papaw. The quiet respectful atmosphere of a funeral home led to a strict structured upbringing filled with church and choir activities. Often times the Dunn children would ride to school in a hearse instead of walking. Even though happy for the ride, Rosie and her sister Bunny would duck down in embarrassment as they approached the school. It is said that her much younger brother Eddie would sit up as high as he could in the front seat enjoying the attention of riding in a limo. On the farm with Mamaw and Papaw, Rosie and her siblings could enjoy a more rambunctious existence. Rosie would often talk about Mamaw and Papaw and her time on the farm with fresh air, vegetables, farm animals and having to use an outhouse because there was no indoor plumbing. This was a time when well water and pee pots were the norm for them. There is a story from Rosie’s childhood when she was playing on the farm and decided to climb up a fence that enclosed the horses. In the process of climbing, Rosie mistakenly presented her backside in the direction of one of the horses. This horse was apparently very curious with Rosie’s backside and could not resist biting her on her butt cheek. Rosie developed a newfound respect for horses and climbing fences.

Rosie came from a musical family and enjoyed singing in the choir. In her younger days, she learned to play the guitar and had the most beautiful soprano singing voice. As a young teenager, socializing was mostly in the form of organized dances. When Rosie was 14 years old, she would attend a dance at nearby St. Francis High School (all boys Catholic school). It is there, where by chance, Rosie would meet the love of her life Robert (Bob) Rinaldi. Rosie and Bob would continue to meet at organized dances and soon developed a fondness for one another that would eventually blossom into a love everlasting. Rosie and Bob became sweethearts throughout their high school years as well as through their college years. Rosie would attend Mercy Nursing School in Charlotte N.C. Bob would attend Belmont Abbey near Charlotte N.C. Each found success in their studies and although separated briefly, they never stopped thinking about one another, writing one another and visiting each other as often as they could. Even though Rosie was falling in love with Bob, she was conflicted in that she also wanted to serve the Lord as a Nun. As a devout Catholic girl, Rosie had some decisions to make. She sought out the advice from a Reverend Mother at Mercy to discuss her desire to become a Nun. It is said that the Reverend Mother would gently explain to Rosie that “you are meant to marry and have babies”. In 1958, Rosie received an Associate of Applied Science Degree from the Mercy Hospital Sacred Heart Junior College and went immediately to work at Mercy Hospital while Bob continued to attend college nearby at Belmont Abbey. Recently discovered love letters from 1955 reveal that Rosie and Bob were already talking about marriage but knew they needed to finish college first and would hope for the approval of each other’s parents. Rosie would marry Bob Rinaldi, the love of her life less than a month after graduating from Mercy. Rosie worked in the emergency room at Mercy for almost a year and then she and Bob would soon begin a family.

By 1962, Rosie and Bob would have three children, Nunzia Rinaldi-Bork (David), Robert (Bobby) Rinaldi Jr., and Lorinda (Lindy) Rinaldi (Leah). Rosie took many years away from her nursing profession to raise young children while Bob was the sole provider. With his first job in New York area, he would commute from New Jersey. Rosie maintained the household while her husband worked. In the neighborhood, it wasn’t uncommon for Rosie to provide health care to elderly neighbors or to those that were feeling sickly. She always, always took care of everyone. This was a time when neighbors knew each other, doors weren’t locked and neighbors looked out for one another. Kids played outside, climbed trees, rode bicycles and roamed the neighborhood without worry. Rosie had many friends in the neighborhood and eventually they formed a ladies softball team to compete in a local league. She was the shortstop and cleanup batter. It wasn’t uncommon for her to clear the bases when it was her turn at bat. Rosie and her husband were also on a bowling league together with some of their neighbors.  Partying and socializing with neighbors was a common occurrence. There were Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and school plays. Rosie taught her kids to ice skate, play softball, to appreciate hiking in the woods and to enjoy nature.  She had a diverse interest in music and passed this on to her children. On any given day, one or all of the following could be heard playing throughout the house: Aretha Franklin, the Clancy Brothers, Janice Joplin, Miriam Makeba, Mystic Moods or various Broadway musicals to name a few. She was fun, fiery and fiercely loyal and loving to her husband and children. You never had to wonder what was on her mind or how she was feeling. She was gifted at multitasking in that she could carry on a conversation on the phone, conduct either cooking or cleaning and discipline her kids all at the same time. Rosie had “the look” and “the finger snap” which she applied as needed to gain compliance of her children when they were misbehaving while she was multitasking. The “look” and “the finger snap” always worked on her children, it would stop them dead in their tracks. However, on occasion, fiery Rosie would empty the contents of whatever she was drinking in the direction of her husband, who at the time, obviously required discipline. Her husband would laugh, apologize, change his shirt and make up with fiery Rosie.

In the late 60’s Rosie and Bob would relocate to Fayetteville, NC to help Bob’s parents who were in the restaurant business and had suffered a loss due to a fire.  Once settled in Fayetteville, Rosie’s life changed dramatically. She and her husband Bob opened an Italian restaurant (Rinaldi’s) and they worked day and night to make this endeavor successful. She was no longer able to stay home and manage a household. During this time, she juggled her duties at Rinaldi’s with making sure her three children were safe, fed, healthy and thriving. Operating a restaurant, raising children and maintaining a household is a phenomenal feat for anyone to pull off but Rosie did it and without complaint. Her love for her husband and family was beyond measure. After about 10 years of full time restaurant work, Rosie decided to go back into nursing and chose psychiatry as her main focus. For many years, she was the head nurse of the Adolescent Unit at Cumberland Psychiatric Hospital and then from there would go on to work at the Veteran’s Hospital where she would eventually retire. Not long after Rosie retired, she would be rewarded with her one and only grandchild Chelsi Genter (Nunzia’s daughter). Rosie took an active role in providing day care for her sweet granddaughter Chelsi and loved every minute of it.

In 2000, Rosie and Bob had an opportunity to relocate to Charleston SC. They chose this area because their two daughters and grandchild were already living there. Soon thereafter their son Bobby would also relocate to Charleston. It is here she and her husband would live out the rest of their lives together with their children and grandchild nearby. Throughout her married life, vacations always included family from both sides. There was nothing more important than the opportunity to be together with family in any capacity. The majority of Rosie’s family lived in Florida and this is where she would go as often as she could. She was closest with her mother Spencer whom everyone called Tracy (who lived to be 96), her brother Eddie Dunn III and her youngest sister Susan.  Florida vacations always included about a week on a nearby beach and lots of cookouts at Eddie and Norma’s house. Rosie was blessed to have been surrounded by family from both sides of her marriage who loved her so much. For Rosie, there was no love stronger than that of her husband Bob.

Rose Marie Dunn Rinaldi entered eternal rest on December 3, 2019 at the age of 82. She was at home surrounded by her children and granddaughter. The spiritual connection she shared with her husband was real. She knew her husband was departing before anyone else did. A week before her husband passed, she was sitting up in her bed with a concerned look on her face. When her daughter asked what she was doing, she said “I’m picking up your father’s last footsteps and I don’t know where to put them”. Looking back, he never did walk down the hallway again. She also told her daughter “take whatever you want” about a week before she passed. Even though Rosie suffered with dementia, she was otherwise very healthy and had the blood pressure of a teenager. Her children have no explanation for her sudden passing other than the bonds of love everlasting were so strong that she wanted to be reunited with her husband.  To know they were spiritually connected was comforting but to witness their everlasting bond was heartwarming.

Now Rosie has taken her last footsteps and she is reunited with the love of her life for all eternity. Rosie is survived by her daughter Nunzia Bork (David), her son Robert Rinaldi Jr, daughter Lindy Rinaldi (Leah) and granddaughter Chelsi Genter. She is also survived by her son in law David Bork and daughter in law Leah Crout whom she loved as much as her own.

The family appreciates all the prayers and well wishes of friends and family who knew and loved Rosie.

The family will have a private service. Flowers are kindly declined. Donations can be made to: Intrepid Hospice-through the National Hospice Foundation at: www.nationalhospicefoundation.org

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