Rosemarie Katherine DiMeo Keefe, of Medford, MA, passed to spirit peacefully in her home on April 5, 2024 at the age of 89 surrounded by her loved ones in the place that she loved.

The youngest of 3 children, Rosemarie was born in the historic West End of Boston on June 6, 1934. She was born to immigrant parents from Catignano, Province of Pescara, Region of Abruzzo and San Giorgio Ionico, Province of Taranto, Region of Puglia in Italy. Her early childhood was one of struggling and thriving in the multiculturual, depression-era, immigrant community that was Boston in the 1930's. Her parents were ambitious and tireless working people -- her father a construction worker and stone mason, and her mother, a seamstress and an early member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. Her parents opened a neighborhood grocery store on Staniford Street before the beginning of World War II where Rosemarie often worked after school. She moved to the Italian neighborhood of South Medford with her family at the age of 12 in 1946 and graduated from Medford High School in 1952. Her childhood was filled with the joys of family life and she had a host of friends that she cherished for her entire life.

Following High School, she studied art at the Butera School of Art and worked as an operator at the Bell Telephone Company of Boston. A lover of pranks and practical jokes, she often told the story of how she and her fellow operators were bored during a shift in the early 1950's and started placing calls to famous celebrities. They made contact with former President Harry Truman in Independence, MO who was kind and generous and carried on a friendly conversation with Rosemarie and her co-workers. A life-long and dedicated Democrat, President Truman was to become her favorite President.

Rosemarie married Mr. Anthony Bucci, also of Medford, in 1957 and gave birth to children Grace in 1959 and Anthony in 1962. She applied her talent and training in art working for a photo processing company and continued her training in architectural drafting. She joined her brothers' architectural firm, DiMeo Associates, in 1967 and worked in the field of architectural and engineering drafting for over 20 years. In 1992, she joined the Development Staff at Tufts University as Matching Gifts Coordinator and retired in 2005.

Rosemarie courageously ended an abusive marriage and moved to Stoneham in 1967 with her children and mother where she independently purchased her first home. In 1971, she met and fell in love with Mr. George B. Keefe of Brighton, MA and they were married in 1972. They joined their blended family of 5 children together in Stoneham, and remained happily married until George's passing in 2003. Those years were filled with the joys and challenges of parenting, career growth, travel, caring for her aging mother, and building a vacation home on the White River in Bethel, Vermont where George enjoyed hunting with his sons. Rosemarie enjoyed many weekends with family and friends playing cards and having fun in the Vermont countryside.

Rosemarie's life was one of love, kindness, and compassion. Always dedicated to family and friends, she cared for her aging mother until her death in 1988; and for her beloved daughter Grace during her battle with cancer that ended with her passing in 2004. Rosemarie and George moved to a condominium that Rosemarie helped to design in Medford in 1989 and Rosemarie cared for her beloved husband until his passing in 2003.

Rosemarie adored her grandchildren and played an active role in their growing up years. She suffered a severe spinal cord stroke in 2016 that left her confined to a wheelchair and she returned to her home in Medford after a long period of treatment and rehabilitiation determined to live as independently as possible, often with her renowned stubborness. Despite the hardships of living with a serious disability, she never lost her humor, energy, and love for life. She enjoyed her final days living on her own terms surrounded by the things and the people she loved, rarely missing a televised Red Sox game during baseball season. And she particularly enjoyed frequent trips to the Casino with her son Anthony. Among her life-long interests were music, art, film, theater, and politics, and she was a social justice advocate fiercely dedicated to womens' rights. Rosemarie received long-term, loving care from Personal Care Assistants Ms. Dorothy Maina, Ms. Karen Mullins, Ms. Laura Freitas, Ms. Karen Zumpfe and Ms. Carla Rania. Rosemarie's family is also grateful to Tufts Care at Home Hospice for their kind and compasionate end of life care.

Rosemarie is pre-deceased by her father, Franco DiMeo (1898-1959), her mother, Natalia Maria Cassiano DiMeo (1900-1988), her brother, Frank DiMeo (1931-1987), her daughter, Grace Bucci (1959-2005), her huband George B. Keefe (1924-2003), her grandaughter and the light of her life, State Trooper Tamar A. Bucci (1988 – 2022) who was tragically killed in the line of duty on March 4, 2022, and grandson Ryan P. Bucci (1978-1980).

She is survived by her beloved son, Mr. Anthony J. Bucci of Medford and his partner, Ms. Nataly Garcia, her brother, Mr. Peter DiMeo of North Reading, MA, her beloved sister-in-law, Ms. Betsy DiMeo of Beverly, MA, niece, Ms. Gina DiMeo Harrison and husband Larry Harrison and their son Benjamin Harrison of Beverly, nephew Mr. Stephen DiMeo of Melrose, nephew Mr. Christopher DiMeo and husband Robert Saoud of Woburn and their son, Nickolas Saoud-DiMeo of Medford, her niece, Ms. Wendy DiMeo Golini of Melrose and her children, Mr. David Golini and Mr. Thomas Golini, both of Melrose; grandchildren, Mr. Dante A. Bucci and his fiance Ms. Aurora Leal of Burlington, MA, Ms. Talena Bucci Lange and husband Andrew Lange of Reading, MA and Ms. Karissa Bucci Holmes and husband Brian Holmes of Scarborough, ME. She is also survived by 5 great-grandchildren: Landon, Lena, Emmett, Charlotte, and Aria.

Visiting hours will be held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Friday, April 12, 2024 from 4:00PM-7:00PM, followed by a prayer service at 7:00PM. Relatives & friends respectfully invited to attend. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends may make a donation to the Tamar A. Bucci Foundation: https://www.tamarbuccifoundation.com/.