Rosemarie Green

Rosemarie R. Green, 82, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at North Woods Village at Edison Lakes Mishawaka, Indiana.

Rosemarie was born on December 20, 1940, in East Cleveland, Ohio, to the late Joseph and Adele (Varkala) Ulis. She had two beloved younger sisters: Joanne “Bonnie” Thain Pindroh, who preceded her in death, and Nancy Varekojis, who survives.

On August 7, 1971 she married Thomas Patrick Green, a South Bend native, in her home parish of St. Gregory the Great in South Euclid, Ohio. Tom preceded her in death on February 28, 2023.

Rosemarie is survived by her three children: Erin Davis of Mishawaka, Brian (Dawn) Green of South Bend, and Kevin (Sharon) Green of Leawood, KS, as well as nine grandchildren: Ella Davis; Patrick, Brady and Vivian Green; and Maria, Joseph, Theresa, Dominic and Adela Green.

Growing up in the Cleveland, OH area, Rosemarie attended St. Gregory the Great Catholic School and Regina High School. She graduated from Marygrove College, Detroit, Michigan, in 1963, with a double major in English and Elementary Education. After teaching at a Catholic elementary school in Cleveland, she came to South Bend in 1965 to begin a Master's degree in elementary education at the University of Notre Dame. She then taught first grade at Twin Branch elementary school in Mishawaka until 1974.

In 1983, while caring for her children at home, she started a word processing business, typing and proofreading papers for Notre Dame students. In 1985 she joined the newly-formed Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame where she was involved in administration of the undergraduate and graduate programs. She loved working with the foreign students, many of whom came from war-torn, poverty-stricken, or politically unstable countries. She spent countless hours outside of work picking them up from the airport or bus station, helping them get settled in their living arrangements, and navigating everyday American life. She opened her home during the holiday breaks to any students who were unable to travel back to their home countries, creating many memorable multi-cultural dinners. Her co-workers and students were like family to her. She retired from Notre Dame after 23 years of service.

She was an active member of the Corpus Christi parish and school community, where she was a lector for more than 25 years, and participated in several educational and parish committees. She was a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society and was also a member of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, Illinois. She was passionate about researching her Lithuanian roots as well as her husband’s family history, often traveling to continue her research. Even on family vacations, she would find the local phone book and call anyone who shared last names with her family, trying to find potential relatives. For several years, she organized a Lithuanian exhibit booth at the South Bend Ethnic Festival, as well as a Lithuanian folk dance group of Notre Dame students that performed at their International Student Organization festival.

She had a gift for storytelling and connecting with people, and she touched many lives through her work, educational advocacy, and her interest in genealogy and culture. She was a loving and dedicated

wife, mother and grandmother. Spending time with her grandchildren was her greatest joy. She loved 

wife, mother and grandmother. Spending time with her grandchildren was her greatest joy. She loved music and singing, and in her last years would serenade her memory care facility with her songs.

Special thanks to her caregivers throughout the course of her illness who treated her with dignity and love. May God bless you all!

Memorial contributions on Rosemarie’s behalf may be made to the following organizations:

South Bend Area Genealogical Society https://www.sbags.org

P.O. Box 11

Notre Dame, IN 46556

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture https://balzekasmuseum.org

6500 S. Pulaski Rd.

Chicago, IL 60629

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana https://alzni.org

Attn: Angel Baginske

111 Sunnybrook Ct.

South Bend, IN 46637

Center for Hospice https://cfhcare.org

501 Comfort Pl.

Mishawaka, IN 46545

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, Indiana, where a parish Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 11 at Corpus Christi Church, 2801 Corpus Christi Drive, South Bend, Indiana. Rev. Daryl Rybicki will officiate. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park. Following the burial, friends and family are welcome to attend a luncheon at the Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Please park in the bookstore.  

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