Rosemarie B. Trombetta

With deep love, the family of Rosemarie Trombetta announces her passing on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. A devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and faithful servant of God, she lived a life centered on compassion, generosity, and service to others.

She is survived by her children Cindy Tedde, Mike Trombetta (Janet), Terry Vercammen (Rondoe), Rick Trombetta (Kelly) and Ronny Trombetta (Chris), along with 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren who will carry her legacy forward. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Gino and her two first-born children, Gina Trombetta and Louie Joe Trombetta (surviving spouse Tammy).

Rosemarie was the daughter of the late Bruno and Teresa Pelle. Survived by her sister Anna Schirripa (deceased Joe) and brother Dr Joe Pelle (Glenda). Siblings preceding her in death; Julia Capogreco (surviving Joe), Mickey Pelle, and Frances Pelle.

A devoted Catholic, Rose lived her faith through service and chose a career to reflect that in Nursing. Initially as our School Nurse, then retiring after many years at St Clair Hospital, with post retirement as the Parish Nurse at SEAS in Carnegie.

Her home was a place where everyone felt welcomed, fed and loved. Every holiday was bursting with our huge extended family and even more; neighbors, orphans, foreigners and anyone seeking comfort. When we grew up and moved out, she took in many special people that became part of our family, and she is a beloved “mama Rose” to our exchange students Miguel Brana from Spain and Sarah Mackle from Ireland, our siblings at heart.

Beyond her home, Rosemarie served her Parish and community through Marriage Encounter, teaching CCD, Cursillos and 25 years of faith-sharing ministry. She was recognized as an honorary (long time) member of the Ladies of Charity.

Every person she encountered was changed by her warmth, her unwavering kindness, her deep faith, and her example of living a life of love and service for God. Her influence will continue to echo through the lives of the many she touched—family, friends, patients, and some strangers who soon became family.

Rosemarie’s life was a living prayer, and her memory will remain a blessing to all who knew her.

Family and friends welcome on Monday, December 8, 2025 from 3-7 pm at WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE (412-563-ront 2800), 1650 Greentree Rd., Scott Twp. 15220. Per the families request and due to COVID CONCERNS, PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK. If necessary, Face Masks will be available at the front entrance. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 10:00 am in St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Please visit the website of The parish of St. Raphael the Archangel for the YouTube livestream link. EVERYONE MEET AT CHURCH AND PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK. Burial in Mt. Olivet Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in her name, may be made to SEAS Church and/or The Ladies of Charity Pittsburgh. 

www.slaterfuneral.com

Funeral Mass at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton- Livestream Video

Funeral homily for Rosemarie Trombetta, Dec. 9, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 

On behalf of Fr. Bob Greco, Fr. Dan Mauer, Fr. James McDonough, Dcn. Kevin Lander, Dcn. James Mackin and Dcn. Paul Lim and the entire parish family of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, I, Fr. Joe Luisi, would like to express my deepest sympathy to each of Rose's five children and their spouses: Cindy Tedde., Mike & Janet Trombetta, Terry & Rondoe Vercammen, Rick & Kelly Trombetta and Ronny & Chris Trombetta along with each of Rose's 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, to her sister, Anna Schirripa, to her brother & sister-in-law Dr. Joe & Glenda Pelle to her brother-in-law Joe Capogreco, to all of her nieces & nephews, other family members and friends as we come together to commend to the Lord, Rosemarie Trombetta, who at the age of 90, has passed from this life to the next. I was her pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish from 2001 to 2009 where she served as our Parish Nurse and remained a dear friend of mine through the years. When I think of the faith that Bruno and Teresa Pelle instilled into each of their six children, I believe that the seed of faith was planted in the fertile soil of Rosemarie's heart. She and her husband, Gino, together were a dynamic duo of faith, nope and love, modeled and emulated by their seven children: Gina, Louie, Cindy, Mike, Terry, Rick and Ronny. Rose was an exceptional witness of the Lord. I keep thinking of the parable of the sower and the seed. Some seeds were stolen by the devil, or didn't have roots, or were choked off by the cares of this world including persecution. But other seeds grew 30, 60 and 100-fold. Rose was in the 100-fold category. If I was scoring those who excelled in Intentional Discipleship, Rose would be an All-Star and perhaps even an MVP. In my homily this morning I'm going to preach about how Rose lived out the Corporal Works of Mercy as enumerated by St. Matthew in today's gospel. At the same time, I'm going to weave in what I consider to be the Five Signature Strengths of Rose according to the Catholic edition of Living Your Strengths-Discover your God-given Talents and Inspire Your Community by Winseman, Clifton and Liesveld. Just so you knew, I became a coach for the Clifton Strengthsfinder and have mentorec others in their journey of faith. While I was not Rose's coach, I think I can make a fair assessment of what ner strengths were. My goal is to paint a portrait of Rose with words that capture her essence. "When I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty, you gave me drink." Rose was an excellent cook and was known for entertaining large groups of family members and friends throughout the year. But in addition to her cooking skills, she fed others with her gift of Belief which is the first of her Signature Strengths. I would say that as important as it is to feed your children with nutritious meals to foster their physical growth, it is equally important to feed them with spiritual values, to ground them in truth, to model for them the gift of faith. This is not only saying grace before meals. This is the gift of mature faith that believes in God's promises even when He takes your husband and two of your children, and three of her siblings. This is the faith that sustained her when she lost her ability to drive, when she had to leave her home and her many treasured family possessions. This is the faith that bolstered Rose when she battled pneumonia, congestive heart failure and COVID. This is a faith that can move mountains. Her Belief was authentic, consistent and inspiring. "Iwas a stranger, and you welcomed me." Rose's motto could have been "Strangers are friends we haven't met yet." Her love was all encompassing as the circle of her love kept expanding. Her second Signature Strength is Includer. Rose always wanted to include people and make them feel part of the group. in direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, Rose actively avoided those groups that excluded others. She wanted to expand the group so that as many people as possible could benefit from its support. She hated the sight of someone on the outside looking in. She wanted to draw them in so that they could feel the warmth of the group. Rose was an instinctively accepting person. It didn't surprise me to read in her obituary the following lines. "Every holiday was bursting with our huge extended family and even more; neighbors, orphans, foreigners and anyone seeking comfort. When we grew up and moved out, she took in many special people that became part of our family, and she is a beloved "Mama Rose" to our exchange students Miguel Brana from Spain and Sarah Mackle from Ireland, our siblings at heart." "When I was naked you clothed me."This not only refers to the shopping that Rose did to provide suitable clothes for her children and grandchildren. It also refers to clothing others with dignity through her active engagement of teaching them and encouraging them to be all that God called them to be. Her third Signature Strength is Activator. Some people are spiritually naked and are not even aware of it. Rose was not one to sit on the sidelines. She was on fire for the Lord to help people to improve their lives. Rose did her part to help others see their spiritual nakedness in a tactful way, as she helped them to clothe themselves with heartfelt compassion. kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience teaching them to bear with one another ar d to forgive one another, putting on love as the bond of perfection. (Co.ossians 3:13-14) She did this through Marriage Encounter with Gino, teaching CCD, being an active member of Pittsburgh Cursillo in a leadership role for Women's Retreats and even being part of the team to host the National Cursillo Convention in Pittsburgh. She embodied one of the core slogans of Cursillo, "Make a friend. Be a friend. Bring a friend to Christ."When I was her pastor, 1 initiated the beginning of Disciples in Mission which were men's and women's faith sharing groups that met in the homes of parishioners. Naturally, Rose agreed to be one of the leaders and kept her group together for 25 years, even having an authentic Seder Meal with her ladies every Lent. "When I was sick or ill you cared for me." Not only did Rose do this for her family and friends but she did this for children and adults first as a school nurse then asa registered nurse at St. Clair Hospital for many years and later as the Parish Nurse of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Her fourth Signature Strength is her Empathy. A person with empathy can sense the emotions of those around them. Rose felt what others were feeling as though their feelings were her own. Intuitively, she was able to see the world through others' eyes and share their perspective even though she may not necessarily agree with them. She heard the unvoiced questions. She anticipated the need. Where others grapple for words, Rose seemed to find the right words and the right tone. Rose helped people to find the right phrases to express their feetings-to themselves as well as to others. She helped them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people were drawn to her love. "When I was in prison you visited me." I don't know if Rose ever embarked into prison ministry. However, like St. Monica (the patron saint of Christian mothers) who never gave up on praying for her son, Augustine, to become a Christian, Rose never stopped praying for her five children to be freed from the prison of unbelief and to return to the Catholic Church. So, her fifth Signature Strength is Developer. Rose saw the potential in others. Very often, potential is all she saw. In her view, no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. Rose was drawn to people for this very reason. She would look for ways to challenge her children and others who have drifted from the faith. She would devise interesting experiences to stretch them and help them grow. These signs of growth in others were her fuel. They brought her strength and satisfaction. The three images that come to mind when thinking of Rose are a lighthouse - providing a guiding light in a dangerous harbor, a rotating sprinkler headproviding much needed water to the grass, flowers and vegetables in its radius, and an aroma of sweet-smelling fragrance-the aroma of Christ, since Christ was so present in the thoughts, words and deeds of Rose. Terry told me that through her mother's prayers and example, all five of her children have returned to the Cathotic Church. As we continue with our liturgy today, we thank God for the 90 years of Rose's life as we celebrate her life and achievements. While we will miss her smile and her hearty laughter and her dancing eyes, I think there's a little bit of Rosemarie in each of us. I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to imitate Rose as she imitated Christ. Then if we use our gifts well to serve God and others as Rose did, we will have a confident assurance of being with Rose again and our Risen Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. There will be a void in the hearts of Rose's family this Christmas and an empty place where she used to sit. Don't worry. This year she's spending Christmas with Jesus. 

Rev. Joseph Luisi