Obituary
Rosemary Lambelet succumbed to a nine-year-long battle with lung and brain cancers on April 6, 2024 at the age of 89. A sweet innocence, not to mention the Shirley Temple curls, made her the darling of her aunts and uncles growing up, and the inherent genuineness drew many friends to her in adulthood. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Larry Lambelet, her son Jeffrey Lezark, daughter-in-law Martha Dario, granddaughter Alexandra Lezark-Littnan and grandson Clifford Lezark, all of whom reside close-by in her chosen state of Florida.
She lost her father, Joseph Locandro, at the tender age of three. She remembers shushing a noisy playmate because her father was “sleeping” upstairs, no funeral parlor in those days. Her father wanted her name to be “Rosemarie”, but a careless document official wrote “Rose Mary” instead on her birth certificate. Her mother, Grace (Mento) Locandro, ably managed the family including her three siblings, predeceased brothers Russell and Andy and sister Ann, by renting out portions of the legacy properties. As typical for a close-knit Italian-heritage family, Rosemary was surrogate mother to her nephew, Richard Meucci, and her niece, MaryAnn Picerno. Her extended family includes the families of Roger Locandro and Sam Mento, not to mention Russell Locandro, another nephew; and the “compare” family of Josephine Maimone-Catanese.
She maintained relationships throughout her lifetime with friends from early childhood and from the New Brunswick, NJ, high school class of 1952. Among those lifelong connections are Joan Previte and Niki Bonnane, with whom trips to Atlantic City casinos and excursions to Florida became fond memories. She was active on the class reunion committee, which enabled her to maintain contacts with several other classmates throughout the years, notably Victor Russell, Eugene Lisnay and Vicky Richter, to name a few.
Rosemary married Charles Lezark in 1954. Jeffrey was born in 1957 while the family lived in the matriarchal home on Alexander Street in New Brunswick. The family later moved to Duclos Lane in nearby Highland Park before divorcing in 1972. Rosemary met, and later married, her current husband, Larry, while both were working at Permacel, a Johnson & Johnson company at the time, in 1969. The couple were married by Larry’s uncle, Clarence Lambelet, an Episcopalian priest, in Navesink, New Jersey in 1975. Rosemary’s maid of honor was Betty Robillard.
The two fell in love with Italy, starting with their honeymoon there and continuing through several follow up visits, one of them including ancestral Sicily. Florence, in particular, was a fond memory. There were other trips to Europe, most notably one attending the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany with granddaughter Alex (then 12) and in-country friend Jöerg Becker in the year 2000, a millennial anniversary of the famous decade event.
Larry and Rosemary moved to Flemington, NJ, in 1980, a move prompted by progression in his career at J & J. The 36-year residency in Flemington was graced with new friendships, notably the Clingham, MacLeod, Chassie, Quinn and Menke-Pang families. Through Larry’s skiing and J & J associations, the Staub, Duncan, Lees, Haviland-Poole and Passarotti families broadened the friendship scope. As charter members of the Clover Hill Homeowners Association, they hosted annual neighborhood picnics in their spacious backyard.
The couple moved to Boynton Beach, Florida in the late 1990’s to take up roles as grandparents. At first providing daycare coverage for granddaughter Alex, Rosemary’s residency there progressed over several years from seasonal trips to relocation in a gated-community home. A seasonal home in St Michaels, Maryland was added in 2015, giving access to the frequented Chesapeake Bay and its famous crustacean, the blue crab. St Michaels, a sailing town, also brought back fond memories of lazy days on a sailboat in NJ’s Barnegat Bay and Shrewsbury River.
Rosemary held licenses both in real estate and beauty culture, but she excelled as a manicurist. She was always most proud of her iconic hands and feet. Her creative side expressed itself in a small business called Stencil Charm. She would stencil decorative motifs on walls for clients, her own stenciled kitchen her showroom. She was assisted in this endeavor by business partner, Phil Abate. She was an exceptional cook and prided herself with sought-after “flaky pastries” and, best of all, “butter ball cookies”. She volunteered at local hospitals, both in Flemington and in Boynton Beach. Her favorite assignment was taking pictures of newborns.
Rosemary was, at core, a social person. She engaged in the social scene at her current home in the community of Ponte Vecchio West in Boynton Beach. A frequent player at water volleyball, canasta and mahjong games, her list of friends extended to many neighbors, some of whom would attend weekly games in her kitchen, notably Marge Mittlemark, Esther Feldman and Joyce Rossman. Her door was always open and welcoming, neighbors frequently dropping-in informally, as did Marina Grullin, Joyce Marks and Abby Pietri who were nearby on Caprio Dr.
She loved people, people loved her, and her legacy is left behind in the hearts of many whom she touched with her humanity. Not least among her social skills was the enabling of her almost hermit-like husband. There was a disarming quality about Rosemary that attracted people to her, and her ability to engage at an emotional level created a lasting bond and an enduring memory.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, from 4 PM to 7 PM, at Palm Beach National Chapel, 10055 Heritage Farms Road, Lake Worth, FL 33449.
A Celebration of Rosemary's life will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 11 AM, at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church, 3300 S Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33435.
Burial will follow at 2 PM at South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 FL-7, Lake Worth, FL 33449.
The family suggest donations be made to The Soup Kitchen, at https://thesoupkitchen.org/home/get-involved/make-a-donation/. The phone is 561-762-7595 or to a charity of your choice.