Rosemary “Ro” Seelaus Sommar, passed away on Tuesday October 19, 2021.
Ro was born in February of 1944 in Annapolis, Maryland to John and Mollie Seelaus.
As a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Philadelphia, Ro attended Georgetown University and graduated with a degree in Nursing, which she put to practice starting with her service career in the US Army Nursing Corp. She completed her service and was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1968, thus beginning her long career as a Registered Nurse. Ro was a mother, a sister, a nurse, and most of all: a friend to all in need. Even if all you needed was a hug.
As a warm and caring mother who reminded her children every day that she loved them, she was an advocate of her children’s needs and a shining supporter of their talents. Ro loved nothing more than her children’s creations when they were little, until the day she joyfully started collecting the same from her grandchildren. She and her son, Paul, were staunch advocates of our fellow human beings whose disabilities required consideration and action, not pity, from those of us who are able-bodied. Ro was a vocal member of her Church with her family, and was often inspired to encourage her fellow Christians to sing louder in praise of God.
Those inspirations were rooted in her love of folk music that spoke of joy, love, and kindness. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting while listening to those songs or watching her beloved Phillies. Ro raised her arms and voice in exultation with every good play, and (only just occasionally) also offered constructive advice on how to play better.
Fellow Vietnam era Veterans often received her support, and she held a special place in her heart for women who were in need of emotional, spiritual, or financial support, especially if constrained by a male-dominated workforce.
Ro was an avid baker, and could also cook vegetables when she had to. She was the only one we knew who could make Jello from a Keurig. Her love of a family meal or a holiday treat has been passed on in practice through her sons and grandchildren. If you really must have one of her recipes, please contact her granddaughter Genevieve, who might swap one of them (or one of her own) for more art supplies.
Whether one knew Ro as part of their family, as a friend, as a sympathetic listener, as your angel of care in a nursing home, or as a neighbor, she would tell you to get over the sadness and get moving. But she’d also ask in her own way (read: order) for a hug before you went.
Her family would like to offer special thanks to her final caregivers at Christiana Care Hospital, her pharmacists who went above and beyond for her, and the staff at ManorCare Skilled Nursing.
Ro is survived by her son Paul Thompson and daughter-in-law Angela Crist Thompson, her daughter Joann Schindler and son-in-law Paul Schindler, her son Michael Thompson and daughter-in-law Tammy Van Keuren, her grandchildren Jasmine and Josh Crist, her grandchildren Kevin, Jason, and Eric Schindler, her grandchildren Rodrigo and Genevieve Thompson, and her sister Joann McAdoo and brother-in-law Gerald McAdoo.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ministry of Caring https://www.signup82north.com/MinistryOfCaring/ The special programs in Wilmington you may consider specifying in order to direct a gift to women and their children in need are the Mary Mother of Hope House III or the Bethany House.
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