Ms. Rosanne Marie LaRusso Kolberg

In news that both shocked absolutely no one and also everyone, Rosanne Kolberg died in her “nest” on Wednesday, February 8th surrounded by all those who she let love her and see her at her most vulnerable – Barry the cat. Rosanne prepared for death like an end of the world prepper - teaching her children how to make peanut butter and jelly on Sunday mornings at 6:00am while yelling “in case I get hit by a bus tomorrow!”, carrying around photocopies of a handwritten DNR she passed out to every doctor she met with an embarrassing flare only a child could know, and collecting a whole Google doc of end of life possibilities that she especially loved sharing with her daughter at 2:00am. Despite her best efforts to either wander the tundra until she froze to death, drop acid at the Burning Man festival and hallucinate her way to the next groovy plane, or live out of a van Nomadland style until driving off a cliff somewhere in the desert, she passed away after a weekend spent eating saltines with her grandson, snuggling in bed with her daughter, squeezing her Jenny and enjoying a surprise visit from Bubbe’s big girl Taliah - leaving those who loved her most especially devastated. Crazy Ro as many of us called her with both affection and frustration lived life on her own terms and never met a deadline, rule, or authority figure she wasn’t afraid to ignore. In one of her most shining moments, she smugly paraded around a letter she mailed to the Columbia City Police in response to a parking violation she received “pic or it didn’t happen” (they sent a picture and a fine). But kidding aside, her fierceness was almost always directed at fighting oppression and staunchly working for social justice. She worked tirelessly on many political campaigns in her life including the Obama campaign in ’08 and lobbied for the Affordable Care Act so passionately that she was featured in the Scranton Times and invited to the White House where she met President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Nothing got her more riled up than mediocre white men and anyone unwilling to push themselves to learn more and do better. She was a source of support for so many young people whose families could not understand how to love them completely and opened her home to anyone at anytime that needed a place to stay and feel loved. After spending a lifetime in the Northeast working as a special education teacher, she moved to be closer to her daughter Naomi and daughter in-law Jen in South Carolina. Unintimidated by the presence of the Confederate flag flying atop the State House, she immediately got to work with the Progressive Network, the Bus Riders Association and later MORE Justice. She loved to leave for events excited that she might get arrested that day and reminding Naomi to keep enough money in her bank account to bail her out. She loved her community at Beth Shalom synagogue and rallied her faith community to work collectively to create real change in vulnerable communities across the state. Her last great adventure was her job at the Riverbanks Zoo. After the loss of her beloved son Zachary in 2017, she struggled with depression, isolation, and a sense of purpose. Finding her job at the zoo and finding a community that could care for her even as she faced many health challenges was a blessing in more ways than there are words for. She loved to call her sister Lisa and tell her all the happenings at the zoo and was so proud to show everyone her zoo “swag” work would give her – yes mom that polo shirt was adorable, yes mom that lunchbox is awesome, yes mom that’s a great zip up jacket. The world will never be the same without the plump, tiny, Jewish grandma firecracker that was Rosanne Marie LaRusso Kolberg. There is no one who met her, who will not miss her so let everyone who knew her carry her flame. Rosanne was preceded in death by her parents Marjorie and Anthony LaRusso, her brother Anthony LaRusso Jr, and her son Zachary Leonard LaRusso Kolberg. She will be missed more than she would have ever let herself imagine by her daughter Naomi Rachel Simmons, her daughter in-law Jen Simmons, her grandchildren Taliah Simmons, Jordan Simmons, David Gill, Mackenzi Kolberg, Julian Kolberg, Isaiah Kolberg, and Samuel Kolberg. She was an incredible big sister to Lisa Wilkins (Rich), Lynn Spiecker, and Phyllis LaRusso and according to all her birthday cards – the true favorite. The graveside service for Mrs. Kolberg will be held at 1:30 o’clock, Sunday, February 12th, at Beth Shalom Arcadia Lakes Cemetery, 1401 Arcadia Lakes Dr., Columbia, with Rabbi Jonathan Case officiating. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. Memorial gifts may be made to Beth Shalom Synagogue https://www.bethshalomcolumbia.org/ or MORE Justice https://www.morejusticecolumbia.org/

Tributes

Ms. Rosanne Marie LaRusso Kolberg

May 20, 1954 - February 8, 2023