Rosemarie Agnes Sullivan of Monroe, New York, passed away unexpectedly at home on September 22, 2026. She was 82 years old.
Born in New York City on November 26, 1943, she was the oldest of 10 children of the late Donald and Rosaleen Murray Sage. She was raised in the Bronx surrounded by not only her siblings and parents but also by her maternal grandparents who emigrated from Ireland, and her many aunts, uncles and cousins. She graduated from Our Lady of Angels Elementary School, Notre Dame High School and Fordham University, a family tradition.
Known to all as Ro, she served as a second mother to her many siblings who adored her.
In 1972, she met Cornelius – or “Neil” as he was known - Sullivan who was an audio/visual consultant. It was love at first sight and shortly thereafter, they married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, officiated by Ro’s “Uncle Buddy,’ Monsignor James J. Murray, who was the Executive Director of Catholic Charities for many years.
Ro went on to have a very long career which included positions at WOR TV, Towers Perrin, a global human resources and consulting firm and ultimately, Nyack Hospital where she spent her remaining working years. Ro was a bundle of energy and enjoyed working well beyond her retirement years.
Ro and Neil moved to Monroe, New York and the greatest joy of their lives was the welcoming of their son, Matthew Owen. She loved her home and enjoyed reading, gardening, and welcoming numerous pets into her life. She also was a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan, inherited of course from her Wisconsin-bred Dad. For her 80th birthday, her family gave her the #1 item on her bucket list, a trip to Green Bay to see the Packers at Lambeau Field. It was truly one of the highlights of her life.
Rosemarie is survived by her son, Matthew (Lauren) Sullivan of New York, New York; brother, Daniel (Bernadette) Sage of Northern Ireland; sister, Maureen (Gary) Shillet of Forest Hills Gardens, New York; sister, Eileen Robinson of Far Rockaway, New York; sister, Monica Sage of Bronx, New York; sister, Margaret O'Brien of Bronx, New York; sister, Josephine McCaffrey of Bronxville, New York; brother, Patrick Sage of Bronx, New York, brother-in-law, Michael Staunton of Bronxville, NY and many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and goddaughters. She was predeceased by her husband Neil Sullivan, an infant daughter, Deirdre, and two sisters, Anne Bernadette Staunton and Kathleen Sage.
Memorial visitation will be on Thursday, October 1, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. A Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026 at St. Stephen RC Church, 75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, followed by inurnment in St. Stephen’s Cemetery, 98 Galloway Road, Warwick. For those who cannot attend the Mass in person, here is the livestream link to view at the scheduled time: https://ststephenchurchwarwick.org/livestreams
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Rosemarie’s memory to Sisters of St. Ursula (http://www.societyofstursula.org or Catholic Charities of New York (http://catholiccharitiesny.org)