Carondelet sister loved teaching, sports, playing Hawaiian music
Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Anita Marie Rosco who spent a lifetime teaching kindergarten through grade four in schools in California and Hawaii, died unexpectedly in Honolulu on April 10, three weeks shy of her 95th birthday. She was a religious sister for 73 years.
For more than 25 years, Sister Anita Marie taught in California Catholic schools in Canoga Park, Manhattan Beach, Encino and Oxnard.
In Hawaii, her assignments were St. Theresa School, Honolulu; St. Joseph School, Waipahu; Christ the King School on Maui; St. Anthony School, Kailua; and Holy Trinity School, Honolulu.
She later worked on after-school care programs, school liturgies and office support.
Sister Anita loved sports, Hawaiian music and dance, playing the ukulele (her much-loved one with a beautiful tone was made by a prisoner on Maui), doing crossword puzzles, and attending University of Hawaii volleyball games, thanks to the kindness of late sports broadcaster Jim Leahy.
She was always cheerful, laughing and smiling, and grateful for every small kindness. In her later years, she continued to enjoy her many activities, including singing songs in Hawaiian, Spanish and Filipino, watching University of Hawaii sports on television and chatting with everyone.
Sister Anita Marie, baptized Mary Felicitacion, was born in Ewa, west Oahu, on May 3, 1928, one of three children of Paz Lucenado and Dionicio Rosco. The family later expanded to include five half-siblings.
Mary attended public elementary school in Ewa and met the Sisters of St. Joseph attending CCD classes at Immaculate Conception Parish in Ewa. As an older student, she assisted the sisters in teaching the younger ones. She was active in the Sodality and CYO sports.
After graduating from Waipahu High School in 1946, she went to business school, and worked in Honolulu. Eventually, she spoke with Sister Mary Carlotta Whitmore about a vocation, and with the encouragement of Sacred Hearts Father Theodore Herkenrath, entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in September 1950. At her reception in 1951, Mary was given the name Sister Anita Marie.
During her active years, Sister Anita traveled across the mainland by train, visiting all the mainland provinces of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and enjoyed a trip to Ireland with her good friend Sister Tomasa Marcos as guests of Charlene Luis. After a lifetime of rich education ministries and experiences, she began the period of prayer, presence, and witness, which continued for the rest of her life.
After a normal, happy day, she died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep.
Sister Anita is survived by her sister, Priscilla (Prissi) Canne (Reynaldo) and many nieces and nephews, grand, great-grand and great-great-grand nieces and nephews from the Rosco-Asuncion-Balagan ohana, plus her Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Her funeral is scheduled for May 5 at Holy Trinity Church. Visitation will be at 11:30 a.m., eulogy at noon, and the funeral Mass at 12:30 p.m., followed by her burial at Diamond Head Memorial Park at 2 p.m.
