Obituary for Rosemary Lewandowski Lois (Lewandowski)
Rosemary Lewandowski Lois.
Born June 6th, 1930 to Joseph Lewandowski and Laura Godlewski on the Polish West Side of Syracuse, New York, Rosemary found her talent and love for art at a young age. She graduated from high school and worked secretarial jobs to save some money. And then, with her parents' encouragement and support, headed to Pratt University in Brooklyn, New York. She had dreamed of becoming an artist, but her practical side knew she needed a job so she enrolled in the Advertising Design program. It was there, on her first day of classes, she found her true love, George Lois.
Rosemary and George left college and eloped after their second year, and a short while later, George was drafted and sent to fight in the Korean War. Rosemary took work as an advertising designer for Reba Sochis, then as Art Director for Fairchild Publications, and later, as Promotion Art Director for Mademoiselle magazine. When George returned, they moved to Greenwich Village where they lived a whirlwind 71 years together, raised their two children, Harry Joe and Luke, collected art, summered on Fire Island, and lived every day to the fullest.
Rosemary pursued her painting more and more as her boys grew, and evolved her style and technique finding herself immersed in the love of painting the humanity in the machines that were shaping the world around her. Her first “machine painting” was of a typewriter she “fell in love with,” because the paper under the celluloid on the keys was a different color, depending on how often the human fingers had touched the keys. The idea that the use of the machine by a human had actually visually changed the machine “blew her mind,” and began her fascination with the relationship between man and machine. Her lament? “We were a more progressive nation when we manufactured things–when hard-working men and women were respected, and their unions had real power.”
At the age of 92, Rosemary leaves this world a little richer with her art and a little kinder with her love that touched so many. She is survived by her loving husband George, her son Luke and wife Diane, grandsons George and Alexander, sister Joan and husband Sam Scali, as well as nieces Stemmie Adinolfi and husband Richard and Marissa Scali, nephews Jon Tracosas and his wife Beth and Harry Tracosas and his partner Sally, Georgio Scali and Tonio Scali, grand-nieces Leah Jenness and husband Sam, Willa Hughes and husband Evan, grand-nephews Adam Adinolfi and wife Shaunna, Luke Adinolfi, and all of their families as well as friends too many to list, each of whom she dearly loved. All have heart-warming stories to tell of how she helped shape their lives with her grace, style and generosity. She held in her heart Ricky and Ernie Tracosas and their son Billy, and Voula and Bill Chirgotis, who left this world some time ago and her great-grand nephew Miles Jenness, who left us too, too soon. Rosemary’s great loss in life was the death of her beloved son, Harry Joseph Lois, at 20 years old on September 21, 1978. She kept Harry’s memory alive throughout her life.
We lost Rosemary on September 20th, 2022. She and Harry Joe will live in our hearts and minds forever.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to https://www.earthkeepersformiles.com/
Born June 6th, 1930 to Joseph Lewandowski and Laura Godlewski on the Polish West Side of Syracuse, New York, Rosemary found her talent and love for art at a young age. She graduated from high school and worked secretarial jobs to save some money. And then, with her parents' encouragement and support, headed to Pratt University in Brooklyn, New York. She had dreamed of becoming an artist, but her practical side knew she needed a job so she enrolled in the Advertising Design program. It was there, on her first day of classes, she found her true love, George Lois.
Rosemary and George left college and eloped after their second year, and a short while later, George was drafted and sent to fight in the Korean War. Rosemary took work as an advertising designer for Reba Sochis, then as Art Director for Fairchild Publications, and later, as Promotion Art Director for Mademoiselle magazine. When George returned, they moved to Greenwich Village where they lived a whirlwind 71 years together, raised their two children, Harry Joe and Luke, collected art, summered on Fire Island, and lived every day to the fullest.
Rosemary pursued her painting more and more as her boys grew, and evolved her style and technique finding herself immersed in the love of painting the humanity in the machines that were shaping the world around her. Her first “machine painting” was of a typewriter she “fell in love with,” because the paper under the celluloid on the keys was a different color, depending on how often the human fingers had touched the keys. The idea that the use of the machine by a human had actually visually changed the machine “blew her mind,” and began her fascination with the relationship between man and machine. Her lament? “We were a more progressive nation when we manufactured things–when hard-working men and women were respected, and their unions had real power.”
At the age of 92, Rosemary leaves this world a little richer with her art and a little kinder with her love that touched so many. She is survived by her loving husband George, her son Luke and wife Diane, grandsons George and Alexander, sister Joan and husband Sam Scali, as well as nieces Stemmie Adinolfi and husband Richard and Marissa Scali, nephews Jon Tracosas and his wife Beth and Harry Tracosas and his partner Sally, Georgio Scali and Tonio Scali, grand-nieces Leah Jenness and husband Sam, Willa Hughes and husband Evan, grand-nephews Adam Adinolfi and wife Shaunna, Luke Adinolfi, and all of their families as well as friends too many to list, each of whom she dearly loved. All have heart-warming stories to tell of how she helped shape their lives with her grace, style and generosity. She held in her heart Ricky and Ernie Tracosas and their son Billy, and Voula and Bill Chirgotis, who left this world some time ago and her great-grand nephew Miles Jenness, who left us too, too soon. Rosemary’s great loss in life was the death of her beloved son, Harry Joseph Lois, at 20 years old on September 21, 1978. She kept Harry’s memory alive throughout her life.
We lost Rosemary on September 20th, 2022. She and Harry Joe will live in our hearts and minds forever.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to https://www.earthkeepersformiles.com/