Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Rosemary Callahan, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully at her home in Tigard.
Rosemary was born in Indianapolis, Ind., to Otto and Catherine Hagemann, the youngest of their three daughters. In 1937, her family moved to Portland after brief stays in Chicago and Seattle where her father worked for the railroad. She graduated from Grant High School and then attended Oregon State University where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority.
In 1947, she married David J. Callahan and they resided in Portland before being relocated to The Dalles in 1952, where they raised their six children. In spite of all the time and energy it takes to manage a household with six children, Rosemary still found time to put in countless hours as a volunteer with St. Mary’s Academy, St. Peter’s Church and the American Red Cross. These endeavors typified her life as she always thought of others before herself.
Rosemary felt her greatest accomplishment was having successfully raised her six children. Her greatest joy was spending time with her extended family. She treasured family gatherings at the Oregon Coast and Sunriver and also enjoyed special trips to Ireland and many areas throughout the U.S.
In 1991, she and Dave moved back to the Portland metro area to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Rosemary was preceded in death by her husband, Dave, in 2009, and her son, John, in 2010. She is survived by her children, Kip (Jean), Tom (Martha), Mary “Murph”, Teri Duffy (Peter), and Rich (Claire Campbell).
She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Erin Wood (Jim), Dan (Jacquie Banet), Brenna, Joseph (Nelly Patino), Patrick, Sean, Brian, Michael, Thomas and Macauley Callahan, Clare Duffy and great-grandsons, Braden Wood and Wallace Callahan.
A Celebration of Life Mass will be held Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Church in Tigard. Remembrances can be made to St. Vincent de Paul at St. Anthony in Tigard or the John Callahan Memorial at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
The family would like to thank the caregivers from Home Instead for their compassionate and loving care and the friendships formed with Rosemary in her last months.
To plant a tree in memory of Rosemary Callahan as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.
