Myrna Rosamilia Obituary

Myrna V. Rosamilia ObituaryIt is with deep sadness the family of Myrna Rosamilia announces her sudden passing at her home on May 13, 2025. Myrna Rosamilia nee, Melchionne, of Ocean, NJ, formerly of Watchung, was 92. Myrna was born on March 20, 1933 in Newark to the late Philomena, nee DeBenedictis and Louis Melchionne.
She attended Barringer High School in Newark before her family moved to Union when she was a sophomore. Myrna always fondly recalled the old days in Newark where in the evenings people would sit on their front stoops talking for hours. Upon graduating, Myrna, enrolled in the famed Katharine Gibbs School in Montclair. The skills she learned there in two years proved invaluable to her for the rest of her life. Myrna was introduced to her future husband, the late Dr. A. Richard Rosamilia, by her Aunt Helen of Newark. Myrna and Richard were married on
June 20, 1954 at St Rose of Lima Church in Newark. They honeymooned at The Castle Harbor Hotel in Bermuda. Mom was 21, Dad was 27. The newlyweds settled in Philadelphia where Richard was a fourth-year dental student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry, Class of 1955.
In 1960 they purchased a wooded lot off Mountain Boulevard on Wetumpka Lane in the small town of Watchung building a unique, mid-century home and office. Dad provided all the dental skills, Mom handled everything else. Their waiting room became somewhat of a social scene with Mom at the helm. Our parents worked together downstairs in their dental office every day for over forty years, taking of course Wednesdays off.
An idea that would seem incredulous to most people these days is while our parents were married for 61 years, they always just shared one car between them. Living and working in the same location, they always felt a second car was a complete and unnecessary luxury. Like most folks living through the Depression and WWII, our parents were shaped by these experiences in ways we can never imagine nor fully appreciate. For example,
while their dental office downstairs had A/C for the patients, upstairs where we lived growing up, our Italian Mom would simply say, "Open up your window for fresh air!" Open windows and the huge garage fan that our folks would turn on during hot summer evenings kept us cool. And as you can probably imagine, our mom loved her clothes line. Nothing went in the dryer.
Our parents were very active parishioners at St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill in Watchung. With other founding families, Myrna and Richard were tireless in helping their pastor Father Charles P. Platt with their parish's ambitious capital campaign to build a "new" St Mary's Church-Stony Hill at the top of a hill also off Mountain Boulevard. Our parents were proudly present with their three young daughters when the new church was
dedicated on May 13, 1972. Quite the improvement from celebrating Mass in folding chairs at Valley View School. Our Mom was active in the Altar and Rosary Society at St Mary's and was their president for years. Later Myrna and Richard enjoyed pilgrimages to Italy including Rome, Venice, Sicily with their pastor Father Tom Dzurenda.
Additionally, with their dearest friends they were both actively involved with a popular local theater group called The Watchung Valley Players. While Dad would write, direct and act in these fun and great productions, Mom would host all the wives at their house to sew all the costumes. They would all laugh and sew the night away. Mom only recently retired her trusty and faithful Singer sewing machine. She enjoyed sewing and teaching her three daughters how to sew including creating with her oldest daughter, Debby, a white eyelet dress with a pink
ribbon for her 8th grade graduation from Valley View School.
In 2002, our parents retired to Rolling Meadows at Wayside in Ocean, a brand-new community. Once again as in Watchung, they picked their lot and designed their new home. Together Myrna and Richard enthusiastically met all their new neighbors moving in as original owners also.
Like the comedian Joan Rivers, Mom called it liked she saw it. She was a force of nature, a spitfire. To those she loved, she was a fierce and loyal friend. She loved a vigorous walk around Watchung Lake talking animatedly with a dear friend the whole way. Later at Rolling Meadows Mom so enjoyed her walks on the sidewalks, albeit at a much slower pace, stopping to greet all her friends she would meet along the way.
Mom also was a great tennis enthusiast, playing with her oversized Prince racquet with her friends at the Brook Hill Swim Club and Warren Racquet Club. Her first date with her future husband was, in fact, a tennis date at Branch Brook Park in Newark all those years ago.
Throughout her life, Myrna loved playing Mahjong and bridge. For over twenty years at Rolling Meadows, she enjoyed weekly games of both at their clubhouse. Mom was incredibly competitive, whether she was playing tennis, a game of cards or Chinese checkers. She loved watching tennis and rarely missed the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments throughout the year on tv. She knew all the players, always rooting for the Americans. Yet Mom was so nervous watching her own daughters, Donna and Lisa, compete throughout their tennis careers, both tennis scholarship recipients at Seton Hall and Boston College respectively.
Myrna loved being Italian. She loved her Italian culture, heritage and food. Growing up in Watchung every Sunday after Mass, three generations of our family ate together, either in our dining room or outside at our favorite spot, our screened in porch. Every Sunday. Mom was known for her homemade pound cake, biscotti and pizzelle, baking them for family and friends for special occasions. Myrna loved her family with great passion. Her family was her life. It was time spent with her family that Mom enjoyed the most, whether it be at a holiday meal, a school event, a ballet performance, a birthday, celebrating a sacrament or simply enjoying a phone call with one of her grandchildren. Our Nonna spent hours on the phone staying connected to all five of her adult grandchildren, always taking a genuine and keen interest in what was going on in their lives. Becoming a Great Nonna to her three great-granddaughters gave our mom the greatest joy. How Mom loved to interact with them, beaming with pride and bursting with love in retelling a story about any one of them.
About ten years ago our mom was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare, slow growing blood cancer. For years, Myrna would remark that her hope would be, to not only die quickly, but in her own home. Our Italian Mom, aka Nonna and Great Nonna, died suddenly in her own kitchen while preparing a meal. Mom would have considered her quick passing quite the blessing. Rest in peace Mom. You will be deeply missed.
Myrna is survived by her three daughters, Debby Rosamilia Sumski of Leland, NC (husband Bobbie), Donna Rosamilia of Manhattan and Lisa Rosamilia Laughinghouse of Fair Haven (husband Dr. Ken Laughinghouse) and their five children, Nonna's cherished grandchildren, Katie Laughinghouse of Nashville, TN (husband Dave Buchner), Kelly Laughinghouse Reilly of Franklin, MA (husband Paul Reilly) James Laughinghouse of Lake Como, Emily Laughinghouse of Hoboken and Joe Laughinghouse of Lake Como. Additionally, Great Nonna is survived by her three precious great-granddaughters, Rachel 4, Margaret 3, and newborn Lucy Mae Reilly.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Friday, July 25, 2025 at The Church of The Nativity in Fair Haven, NJ. Interment will follow immediately at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veteran Memorial
Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ. For condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com.
It is with deep sadness the family of Myrna Rosamilia announces her sudden passing at her home on May 13, 2025. Myrna Rosamilia nee, Melchionne, of Ocean, NJ, formerly of Watchung, was 92. Myrna was born on March 20, 1933 in Newark to the late Philomena, nee DeBenedictis and Louis Melchionne.
She attended Barringer High School in Newark be