Rosemary (Kelly) Lynch

Rosemary Kelly Lynch died on February 17, 2022, after a long and fortunate life. For nine decades, Rosemary lived life fully and on her own terms. She was dedicated to her family, especially her late husband, William F. Lynch; her nursing profession; and her Catholic faith. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on May 18, 1930, Rosemary was the eldest daughter of the late Francis W. and Catherine Casey Kelly. She grew up in Devon, Connecticut, a community that is both an identity and a geographical location, attending Devon Grammar School before graduating from Milford High School in 1948.

Following high school, Rosemary enrolled at the Hospital of St. Raphael (St. Rafe’s) School of Nursing, graduating in 1951. She joined the staff of St. Rafe’s labor and delivery ward and was shift supervisor when she met Bill Lynch, the intern who become her husband for the next six decades. With the birth of their first child, Rosemary hung up her nursing cap and cape but, even as her family grew, she volunteered with community organizations. For many years, she was very active with the Guild at St. Mary’s Church in Milford and also served on the board of the Visiting Nurse Association and the state Board of Mental Health.  In the 1980s, Ro returned to nursing, at Milford Hospital where she realized her original ambition of being a scrub (o.r.) nurse.

Rosemary will be remembered with love by her four children, and their families: son Bill, his wife, Nicole, and their three daughters, Mary, Emily, and Grace; daughter, Rosemary, her husband, Tom Dillon, and their son, Chris; son Tom, his wife, Sharon, and her son Paul; and son Peter, his fiancée, Laurie Julian, and his children, Dan and Mattie. Also surviving Rosemary are her siblings and their spouses: Frank and Marilyn Kelly, Dan and Anne Kelly, Kathleen and Jim Dalton; and many nieces and nephews.  In addition to her husband and parents, Rosemary was predeceased by her sisters Patricia Drake and JoAnn Mapes and her sister-in-law Sr. Wilma Lynch, O.P.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Ann's Church, 501 Naugatuck Ave., Devon. Burial will follow at St. Lawrence Cemetery, West Haven. Friends and family may call on Monday, February 21, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at THE GREGORY F. DOYLE FUNERAL HOME, 291 Bridgeport Ave., Devon. Masks are required indoors. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.  To share a memory, please visit, www.gregoryfdoylefuneralhome.com.  

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