Obituary of Rosemary Pahl

Rosemary A. (McGraw) Pahl, 74, of Glastonbury, beloved wife of Kurt P. Pahl, died of cancer Thursday October 6, 2011 at St. Francis Hospital. She was born August 25, 1937 in Detroit, MI, daughter of the late Sheldon W. and Rose Mary (Leszczynski) McGraw. Rosemary graduated from Mercy College in Detroit and worked as a registered nurse until she married and moved to Glastonbury in 1960. At that time she worked at the Colonial Nursing Home in Glastonbury. After her two children, Michael and Marie, reached grade school, Rosemary volunteered to teach CCD for St. Augustine's Church in South Glastonbury, and often brought her classes in to visit the elderly at the nursing home. She and Kurt joined the Glastonbury Community Club and have been members since 1961. Later, Rosemary returned to college to peruse a degree in education. After earning her masters degree, she taught at Hebron Avenue School in Glastonbury. Throughout her teaching career, Rosemary touched the lives of numerous students and their families. She also won awards in Excellence in Education and received her 6th year degree. When Rosemary's own children were in high school, she and Kurt joined Marriage Encounter and became a lead couple. Together they were involved in numerous events surrounding this world-wide organization. With the help and support of their Marriage Encounter group, many close friends and family they were able endure the tragic event of losing their son, Michael in his early twenties. Rosemary finally retired from teaching after 30 years in 1998, to enjoy her family and grandsons, Michael Pahl and Thomas Geoffrey Fredericks. Rosemary's zest for life was apparent to many of the people who knew her. She enjoyed entertaining, the theater and often went to New York to see plays on Broadway. Throughout her life she traveled in the US and abroad. Rosemary and Kurt had a home in Florida and a beach house in Rhode Island, both of which brought her years of enjoyment. One of Rosemary's favorite past times was watching sunsets. Rosemary loved so many people in her life but most of all she loved her family. Besides her husband, she is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Marie and Henry Fredericks of Portland, grandsons Thomas and Michael Fredericks, brothers William McGraw of Anaheim, CA, and James McGraw of Gilbert, AZ, and a sister, Anne Miller of Venice, FL. We pray that Rosemary is at peace and has joined her son Michael Kurt Pahl, and her brother John McGraw whose untimely death preceded her. Friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury on Monday Oct 10, from 5- 8 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday Oct. 11, at 11am in St. Mary's Church, 45 Freestone Ave., Portland. Burial will follow in St. Augustine Cemetery, South Glastonbury. Donations in Rosemary's honor may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Treatment and Cure Research at www.themmrf.org/donations. To share a memory or special thought, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.