Janet Rossi

JANET C. ROSSI, age 65, of St. Charles, passed away Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at Delnor Community Hospital, Geneva. Janet Rossi loved life -and while hers may not have been "a rose garden", you’d never known that. Looking back, she chose to focus on the "roses" that had been hers -both to give and to receive. The rest of the "garden", regardless of the real landscape, fades to a lovely color-washed background like something Monet would have painted. An author and columnist by profession, Janet was herself, a master at "word pictures". Her own gallery of "paintings-in- newsprint" chronicle years of life in the Fox Valley. Her writing, like the story of her life, was a tapestry of many colors, a weaving of her life and the lives of those around her – in a microcosm, it is the life of the community. She was born October 6, 1942 at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital, (now Norwegian American Hospital) in Chicago, IL. The first eighteen years of her life she lived saw her growing up in the city; attending Frederick Funston Elementary School and North Park Academy. Along the way she discovered a gift for music and the piano. She studied piano for eleven years with Miss Carolyn Erickson and became a much-in-demand accompanist at school, at church with local bands and soloists. On July 29, 1961 she married Philip Everett Cool. They were wed at the Grace E.U.B. Church at Kimball and Wrightwood, Chicago, and subsequently moved to Geneva and later, St. Charles. They were blessed with three daughters: Linda, Susan and Amy. Later in 1975, Andrew Carl Cool was born to make the family whole. For a time she worked as a secretary at various companies including Gordon Flesch and Ball Horticultural. Her gift for music (and perhaps just a touch of "ham" as well), found a home with the Playmakers, a Fox Valley theater group where she did everything from applying make-up to dancing and singing. Following her mother’s death, she began to write and discovered that, like her music, people enjoyed reading the things she composed. That discovery lead to her career as a columnist which included writing for the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and a weekly column in the Kane County Chronicle for ten years – over 500 columns in all! In more recent years she has been writing for the Press Republican Group. Her faith has always been an integral part of her life as she recalls beginning Sunday School at the #17 Corps of the Salvation Army at Waubonsee and California in Chicago. Although she was baptized there, the lessons were all in Norwegian, and, in time, her mother migrated to the Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church in Logan Square where Janet was confirmed. For over thirty years, she was a member of the St Charles Congregational Church. When the church relocated, she continued at the Geneva Congregational Church for a time until moving to the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church where she was united in marriage to Patrick Alan Rossi Sr. on October 11, 1997. FAMILYShe now leaves her loving husband, Patrick, Seven children:Linda (Scott) Shields of St. Charles, IL,And their children: Christopher Sarah Susan Lawyer of St. Charles, IL Amy (Bob) King of Elburn, ILAnd their children: Hannah Abigail "Abby" Olivia Andrew (Wendy) Cool—"firedog" at Circuit CityPatrick "P.J." (Rebecca) Rossi Jr. of Deland, FLwith a new addition coming in March;Paul Rossi of Ormand Beach, FL,Lanette Rossi of Creston, ILOne cousin, Joyce (Earl) Gundersen of Park Ridge, IL Two Brothers-in-law Larry (Ellen) Rossi of South Elgin, ILSarah Rossi Christopher (Penny) Rossi of Temple, Georgia and Bill Rossi of St. Charles, ILHer mother-in-law: Lena Rossi of St. Charles and a family of friends. Preceded:She now joins her parents, Carl and Mary (Johannessen) Axelson and a son-in-law, Mark Lawyer who preceded her in death.FUNERAL Her family will arrange and host a memorial service to celebrate her life at 6 p.m. on September 12, 2008 at the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church on East Side Dr., Geneva, IL. Rev. Carl Gray, pastor of the church will officiate. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in her name to benefit the Janet Rossi Music Foundation who will provide music lessons and instruments to those in need. Checks may be made to the "Janet Rossi Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Personal tributes and memories may also to the same address or forwarded to the family through www.conleycare.com. Cremation care, publication assistance and bereavement support provided by Conley Funeral Home, Elburn 630-365-6414.

FUNERAL A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 6 p.m. on September 12, 2008 at the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church on East Side Dr., Geneva, IL. Rev. Carl Gray, pastor of the church will officiate.

MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in her name to benefit the Janet Rossi Music Foundation who will provide music lessons and instruments to those in need. Checks may be made to the "Janet Rossi Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Personal tributes and memories may also to the same address or forwarded to the family through www.conleycare.com.