Rosemarie Sharkey

Rosemarie Sharkey (formerly Schimmoller, née Schuch) was born in Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, on January 2nd, 1941. She was the middle of three daughters Elizabeth, Rosemarie, and Irmgard, born to Friedrich and Hedwig Schuch (née Correll). Despite the turbulent timing of her birth, Rosemarie lived a life filled with travel, good food, and love. She passed away on December 8th, 2020, with her three children by her side.

Rosemarie is predeceased by her husband, Thomas Patrick Sharkey, her parents, and her sisters. She is survived by her three children Howard Schimmoller, Brian Schimmoller, Christine Fahlbusch, their spouses, six grandchildren, four stepchildren, and numerous step-grandchildren. She is also survived by her first husband, Joseph Schimmoller, and his wife, as well as several cousins and close family members throughout Germany.

Rosemarie met her first husband, Joseph, while he was serving in the US Army, stationed at the Taukkunen Barracks in Worms, Germany. Rosemarie immigrated from Germany to New York in 1960, where she and Joseph married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lake Ronkonkoma. After raising their children to school age, in 1972, Rosemarie rejoined the workforce. She worked briefly at a local Friendly’s Ice Cream and then The Bank of New York, eventually becoming a head-teller at its Bohemia (Long Island) Branch.

Later, Rosemarie became a bilingual secretary at Entenmann’s Bakery of Bay Shore, New York, working directly for the German-speaking management and owners. She was later offered a position as an operations manager working on the bakery’s production floor, then was promoted to product development baker, and ultimately became a head-baker. This position took her to various bakery locations, including Miami, Florida, and Albany, New York. During her time at Entenmann’s, Rosemarie was an integral part of their development team. She contributed to several of Entenmann’s classic products, such as their chocolate chip cookies and Boboli pizza crust. Before retirement, her last role was as Assistant Plant Manager at Freihofer’s bakery in Albany, New York.

In her home life, Rosemarie loved to cook and discover new foods. She introduced her family to new cuisines, such as sushi, long before it became popular. She was known for her baking, perfecting family favorites Pflaumenkuchen (German Plum cake), cheesecake, and marble cake.

While at Entenmann’s, Rosemarie met her second husband, Pat Sharkey. After her retirement, Rosemarie and Pat moved to Crossville, Tennessee, and wintered in Florida. They enjoyed their retirement together, traveling in the United States and Europe, entertaining their grandchildren, renovating and landscaping their homes, and lovingly tending to their many pets, including dogs, cats, ducks, fish, and geese. Rosemarie loved participating in Church activities in both Florida and Tennessee. In Crossville, she was a member of a German “Kaffeeklatsch” (Coffee Group) and enjoyed volunteering her time.

Throughout her life, Rosemarie shared her love of her birthplace, Worms, Germany, with her children and grandchildren. Each of them embraced its history, learning the language, and spending time there. In the mid-1980s, Rosemarie became a proud and patriotic citizen of the United States. She expressed her love for her adopted homeland, particularly New York City, enjoying its energy and cultural diversity.

In her later years, both Pat and Rosemarie struggled with their own illnesses, but Rosemarie insisted on being Pat’s primary caregiver through the final stages of his life.

After Pat’s passing in 2018, Rosemarie lived on her own in Punta Gorda. Throughout her time in Florida, and especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Rosemarie was very fortunate to have caring neighbors and receive support from friends at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Punta Gorda. She recently decided to move north to be with her family, living with her daughter and close to her son, both in Fairfax, Virginia. This move allowed her to spend her final days with her loving family.

A small, outdoor and socially-distanced, family service was held in Rosemarie’s memory on December 12th, 2020, at the Hope United Church of Christ in Alexandria, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers as an expression of sympathy, the family asks that donations or financial contributions be made in Rosemarie’s name to one of the following organizations:

• Bread of Life Rescue Mission, 281 Fourth Street, Crossville, TN 38555

• Lutheran Church of the Cross, Christian Charity Fund, 2300 Luther Road, Port Charlotte, FL 33983

• Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (ASPAN), 2020A 14th St N, Arlington, VA 22201