Obituary of Rose Magnifico

Rose M. Magnifico, beloved wife of Dr. Jack G. Magnifico, born Rose Marie Manno on March 3, 1928 in Italy, in the town of Agira, Sicily, passed away on the evening of December 18, 2020. The daughter of Piera and Alfred Manno, Rose came to America at the age of eighteen months and grew up in East Orange, NJ with her brothers Frank and Andrew. While in High School she excelled in math and chemistry and aspired to become a pharmacist. In 1946 Rose was accepted to Rutgers University School of Pharmacy, where she was one of only ten female students in her freshman class. It was there that she met fellow classmate, her future husband, Jack Magnifico. In 1951 Rose and Jack graduated Rutgers together, both with degrees in Pharmacy, and then married and settled in Hawthorne, NJ. Rose began her career as a registered pharmacist in NJ, and in 1954 she accompanied her husband to Chicago, Illinois where he attended Loyola University School of Dentistry. Rose worked there in the pharmacy and as an assistant instructor. She greatly enjoyed the comradery of colleagues whose friendships endured for many years. Returning to NJ in 1958, Rose assisted her husband in the opening of his Hawthorne dental office, worked alongside him as his first dental assistant, continued her own career as a substitute pharmacist, and in 1964 began raising their three children, John, Ida Rose and Petrina, in Glen Rock, NJ. During her years living in Glen Rock, later in North Haledon, and finally in Wayne, Rose found her greatest joy in her role as their mother and as the grandmother of Jack, Michael and Eric Magnifico, and Faith and Luke Tesoriero. She loved sharing in all of their interests and aspirations, always enthusiastic about and dedicated to their education and career goals. Among the happiest shared experiences were high school trips to Italy with her daughters. When she joined Ida in art lessons, Rose discovered her own extraordinary artistic talents, creating many beautiful oil paintings, including an award-winning composition, all of which are lasting treasures for her family. She also took up ceramics, and in her later years, in her Brittany Chase apartment, she poured all the love of her heart into the craft of scrapbooking, creating spectacularly decorated photo albums for her beloved grandchildren. Rose's intense love for each of her children and concern for their happiness and wellbeing inspired a beautiful personal life of prayer. Her later years were deeply enriched by a love of Eucharistic Adoration and devotions to the Rosary and the Divine Mercy. Her hours of prayer in chapels and at home are a lasting and eternal gift to her children. Together with her husband Jack, Rose was blessed with happy retirement years of sharing their love of golf. They enjoyed a series of wonderful vacations in Florida and Arizona where they played on beautiful courses, and returned home with renewed joy and deep gratitude for the gift of these precious times together. Rose was immensely loved and admired by many lifelong friends as well as by her family. Her gentle kindness, her sincere interest in others and her cheerful company, attracted everyone to her. The unique beauty of her spirit and character, her grace and elegance, were all reflected in her joyous, unforgettable smile. Rose, our most beloved and cherished mother, is truly a rose of incomparable beauty, dignity and grace. Each of her children and grandchildren are blessed with a share of the undying love of her heart. In our deep loss, it is our consolation, our hope and our joy too, that she has finally received the promised reward of unimaginable happiness in Heaven, where she rejoices and shines with all the beauty of her immortal soul. A funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located at 45 Urban Club Road, Wayne, NJ 07470. The funeral Mass will be followed by interment at the George Washington Memorial Park Cemetery, located at 234 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made in the name of Rose M. Magnifico to: The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, 2 Prospect Hill Road, Eden Hill, Stockbridge, MA 01262 Website: shrineofdivinemercy.org; Donations: forms.thedivinemercy.org/shrine/donation; Email: shrine@marian.org; Telephone: (413) 298-3931. Arrangements were entrusted to Moore's Home for Funerals, Wayne,NJ ***