Obituary of Rose R Augustine

Rose (O'Brien) Augustine of Berwyn, PA (former resident of Millville and Vineland, New Jersey), passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Wednesday, May 28th at Paoli Hospital in Paoli, PA. She had moved to Berwyn, PA to live with her daughter Rosemary last summer and recently celebrated her 100th birthday with a circle of family and friends at her home in Berwyn. Rose was born February 20, 1914 in the middle of a blizzard to Bernard and Grace O'Brien of Newfield, New Jersey where she grew up and went to grade school. She was a 1932 graduate of Vineland High School, the first class to complete the first full 4 year term. She met Ernie Augustine at a basketball game while in high school and married him at Sacred Heart Church in Vineland in September of 1935. Ernie was working as a drummer with local bands in those years when they decided to move to New York City, where Ernie pursued a successful music career. Rose traveled with her husband Ernie while he played drums with the Big Bands such as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden. In 1946, when her husband Ernie "quit the road", they moved to Millville, NJ to raise their family. They established the Rite-Way Cleaners, a successful dry cleaning and laundry business located at 10th and Broad Streets in Millville. They also built a home at 1204 E. Pine Street which was owned by the family for nearly 40 years. Rose and Ernie worked side by side for almost 50 years. When he established the Garden State Booking Agency (providing music for various events), Rose was always right there beside him working in the business. Rose was bookkeeper for both the dry cleaning business and the booking agency. Mr. Augustine continued in the music business and played music in the Tri-State area until his death in 1984. When Rose and Ernie retired from the dry cleaning business in 1980, Rose decided she wanted to continue working. She took a job as a cashier at Kress's for the Christmas holidays, and later took a full time cashier job with Wilmington Dry Goods at the Cumberland Mall. She continued working for Dry Goods even after it became Value City. Rose had unexpectedly launched a second career as a cashier that lasted 20 more years. In 1993, Rose moved to Englewood, Florida, to be closer to her daughter Patricia and her family. Upon arriving in Florida, she announced she had a cashier job with K-Mart -- all within 2 weeks of her relocation. Her stay in Florida was short-lived when the family moved back to Vineland in 1997, and she returned as well. Rose had a strong constitution and enjoyed working with the public. She again became employed by Value City and continued her employment with them until she finally retired in 1999. Rose loved meeting people when she traveled and was a frequent traveler on the C&B bus trips. She often traveled to Los Angeles and Denver to see her other children. And she took several cross country trips with both of her daughters. She traveled through most of the 50 states and enjoyed trips to the Caribbean and Europe. Her most favorite city of all was New York where she had previously lived with her husband, and in later years enjoyed many Broadway shows and her favorite restaurants. Rose was also an avid reader and enjoyed reading autobiographies. Her many creative talents yielded intricate macramé plant hangers in the 1970s and numerous heirloom quality afghans which she crocheted for her family for over 30 years. Rose loved the outdoors. She enjoyed many summers in Ocean City and was a serious walker into her mid 90s. Rose always loved talking on the phone with her kids and would sign off by saying "I love you and I'll talk to you next time around." Rose Augustine is survived by her three children. Christopher Augustine and wife Cheryl, of Beverly Hills, California; Patricia Giannascoli-Musi and husband Robert Musi of Englewood Florida; and Rosemary Augustine of Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Rose is also survived by two grandchildren, Gregory Giannascoli and his wife Yukyung of Piscataway, New Jersey and Chelsea Augustine of Beverly Hills, California; and a great grandchild, Noah Giannascoli. There are also several great nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by two sisters, Margaret O'Brien and Josephine O'Brien Grabowski, both of Newfield. Funeral Home Visitation will be on Monday, June 2 from 9am to 11am at Rone Funeral Service, 1110 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:30 am on Monday, June 2 at Christ The Good Shepherd Parish - Church Of Sacred Heart, 1010 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ. Entombment will be in Greenwood Memorial Park, Millville, NJ. Donations in memory of Rose may be made to: Paoli Hospital Foundation, Attn: Hospice, 255 W. Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301. Arrangements are under the supervision of Rone Funeral Service, 1110 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360. To send online condolences please visit our website at WWW.RONEFUNERALSERVICE.COM