Mary Rose (Casey) Holzhauer was a beloved grandmother, mother, and wife during her remarkable 96 years. She passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday, December 16, 2021, two days following her 96th birthday.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida on December 14, 1925, Mary Rose was the eldest daughter of Cecil (LaFave) Casey and Dr. John W. Casey, a veterinarian for the United States Department of Agriculture. John Casey’s position took the family all over the southern coast, and Mary Rose grew up in various locations, from Texas to Florida to Louisiana. Her best friend was her only brother, John, only 18 months younger and whom she adored.
When Mary Rose was 16, her family migrated north to upstate New York. Mary Rose attended SUNY Plattsburgh, earning a degree in teaching at the age of 19. While there, she met her future husband, Robert (Bob) Holzhauer, who worked as a chemist at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Rouses Point. They were married on August 27, 1945, a day before Bob was sent overseas to serve as a medic for the wounded of World War II. Mary Rose worked as a teacher at a one-room school-house in Rouse’s Point, NY while awaiting Bob’s return.
Mary Rose and Bob settled in Westchester County, NY and raised their two children, Gretchen and Ralph. Mary Rose, thirsty for knowledge her entire life, excelled as a teacher and student alike, attending graduate school for an advanced degree and transitioning to role of guidance counselor and School Psychologist for the remainder of her career.
Mary Rose was a clever and gregarious woman who loved to laugh and make others do the same. After retiring to a cottage on Sacandaga Lake, she and Bob spent their time traveling, playing cards, entertaining friends and neighbors, visiting and hosting their children and grandchildren, and were active members of the First Presbyterian Church in Hudson Falls, NY. As social as she was, she was equally independent, and had a penchant for many hobbies on her own, including drawing and painting, sewing, reading, and playing the dulcimer. She was unquestionably intelligent, with a talent for speed reading and knack for all things trivia.
Mary Rose is predeceased by her husband, Bob and daughter, Gretchen. She will be fondly remembered and missed greatly by her son, Ralph and daughter-in-law, Anne Marie; her four grandchildren and their spouses, Frances (Jamie) Ness, Rebecca (Sean) Lyons, Robert Holzhauer, and Melissa (Osumanu) Amoo. She is also survived by a slew of growing great-grandchildren: Oliver and James Ness; Vivian, Gianna and Keira Lyons; and Theodore, Guinevere, and Harrison Amoo.
We will celebrate Mary Rose’s life at a memorial service in the Spring at the Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.
