Rosalie J. Bastianelli

Rosalie J. Bastianelli, 87, of Carmel, Indiana, died October 23, 2017. Surviving her are husband Dominic, children Sam (Jinny), Ann, and Jean, and grandchildren Anthony & Marcus Bastianelli, Christian Englum, Rosemary, Jack, & Alex Boeglin, and beloved dog Tootsie. Calling is Sunday 2-6 p.m. at Flanner & Buchanan Broad Ripple, with mass Monday at 11:30 a.m. at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, 7575 Holliday Dr. Burial is at Crown Hill Cemetery. Please make memorial contributions to Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Rose was born in Alpena Michigan on May 15, 1930 to Floyd and Irene Meddaugh. She, along with her brother Louis and sister Geraldine, spent their early years in Alpena before moving to Ann Arbor, where Rose attended Ann Arbor High School, and worked for the University of Michigan Medical Center. At a dance with her best friend, Pauline, Rose met her eventual husband, a young engineering student—Dominic Bastianelli—who hailed from Iron River, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They married at 11:00 a.m on June 16, 1951, and at 2 p.m., Dom graduated from the University of Michigan with his BS in engineering. A year later, Dom received his master’s degree. The couple was married 66 years on June 16, 2017.

The two lived in Detroit, and had their first child—Sam, in1952, while Dom worked for Packard Motor Company. After answering a ‘blind’ employment ad for a promising position in Indianapolis, Dom interviewed and was hired at Detroit Diesel Allison. The couple moved to Indianapolis and welcomed their second child—Ann in 1956, and a third, Jean, in 1959. They moved to the idyllic ‘new’ town of Speedway in 1959 when Jean was born.

Rose was very active as a homemaker and busy mother while the children were young, and insisted that all three children take swimming lessons and join the Westwood Swim Team. This ignited curiosity and a competitive spirit in all of them; and, they were driven (literally and figuratively) by their mother from one class, activity, or event to another throughout their childhoods.

Rose’s Pride and Joy—Sam, Ann, and Jean–blossomed in body, mind, heart, and soul. Whether it was Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little league, Speech team, Speedway Summer Theatre, Young Life meetings, AAU swim meets, or basketball and football games where the girls were either playing or cheering, Rose was the real cheerleader. Nothing meant more to her than supporting her kids. The results speak for themselves. All three are college graduates who have enjoyed long, distinguished careers in sales, marketing, and higher education.

After all her children were in school daily, Rose returned to pursue a nursing degree. She enjoyed a 35-year career, first as a circulating nurse at Riley Hospital operating rooms, and then as a District 5 Private Duty nurse. She was a trusted caregiver for some of the city’s most prominent families and individuals, including Mrs. Gladys Swearingen, Dr. and Mrs. Frank Raab, Leo & Flossie Lippman, and Otto Frenzel, Sr.

Rose approached grandparenting with her usual enthusiasm, passion and energy. Each grandchild learned about the generosity and forgiving nature of Santa Claus, because each year, ‘Granna’ would buy everything on everyone’s Christmas lists. “After all,” she said, “Santa knows how good they’ve been. And that’s what lists to Santa are for!” As the list of grandchildren’s activities and events lengthened, Granna’s did, too. Once again, she volunteered to be ‘cab driver’ and head cheerleader for all of them. She was a regular at Anthony’s and Marcus’s First Baptist, CYO and North Central soccer games, Christian’s St. Richard’s Grandparent’s Day, Assemblies, and Park Tudor football, basketball, or lacrosse games, Rosemary’s campaigns for Class President, Jack’s musical compositions and performances, and Alex’s insightful newspaper reporting and trips to Half Price Books. All the grandkids fondly remember all the visits with Granna to Keystone Deli for breakfast on weekends and Number One China Buffet almost any time—especially in the summers. Holiday dinners were day-long extravanganzas that included not just food, but presents, singing, piano-playing and even a little dancing in the kitchen with Dominic when dishes were being washed afterwards.

One of Rose’s most cherished and long-lasting memberships was The Five Seasons Country Club’s Water Babes program. For six days a week over more than twenty years, Rose did aerobic swimming accompanied by as many as 40 women at a time. These women have formed a uniquely special sisterhood.

Rose’s faith was important to her, and over the years, she and Dom were members of Holy Trinity, St. Christopher’s, St. Gabriel’s and St. Luke’s Catholic Church. One of Rose’s most treasured family traditions over the past thirteen years was a family dinner every Sunday at daughter Ann’s house. The relaxed but ‘earnestly planned’ pitch-in dinners included Rose’s loving husband, Dom, all three children, and whenever possible, the grandchildren as well—along with dear friends, Ken Siegman and Rodney Dowling. Never a week went by when Rose did not stop—especially on Sundays—to thank God and her family for all the blessings of her life. Never a week will pass when those of us who survive her will not continue to thank God for the privilege of being Rose’s husband, children, grandchildren, or friend.