Rosemary Higbee

   On September 14, 1937 in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Rosemary Cairo was born to Michael and Mary Cairo. Her early school life took place in Catholic and public schools on Chicago’s North side, Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, where she studied dance after school. She passed away on Sunday, June 5, 2022 in Barrington, Illinois where she was a lifelong resident.   

   As a young child she enjoyed biking, swimming, and baking with her mother, as well as the many trips to their family country house where she had plenty of room to keep some favorite pets and spend memorable summers with relatives who would come to visit often.  Rosemary and her cousins had great fun running through the fields and playing at the lake. 

   Just before hopping on a very early train (it was still dark out) heading to Chicago with her younger brother and sister for a big day downtown in The Loop to shop and see a movie, Rosemary loved getting cinnamon toast and tea at McLeister's soda fountain in Barrington, which later became the Bread Basket Restaurant. Hearing the train coming, they would run across the tracks to board the train at the last minute. Other favorite haunts were the Bert's Bank Tavern known for their very delicious burgers, homemade potato soup and their wonderful homemade pies. And of course frequenting everyone's beloved Charlottes Pizza as often as possible.   

   As a young high school student looking for employment, she heard that Illinois Bell Telephone Company in Barrington, housed in the little white building that looks like a little white castle on the corner of East Main Street and Ela Street, was hiring women as switchboard operators.  An ambitious teenager looking older than her years, she got the job!  She also worked during summers at Conrad's Five and Dime Store on the northeast corner of Station Street and Hough Street in Barrington.   

   Family circumstances and family tragedy prevented her from attending college.  Her father passed away suddenly one night from a heart attack just when Rosemary graduated from high school.  Being the eldest child, she stayed back and concentrated on the family as everyone healed and recovered.   

   After graduating from high school, she worked at American Can Company in Barrington as a secretary for 12 years.  She had a love for education and after high school and working for a time, she went on to obtain her license as a realtor in the State of Illinois as well as her paramedic license. She then graduated from Saint Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Evanston, Illinois where she excelled in her studies and continued to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.   

   Rosemary may have inherited her motivated work ethic from her father who at the age of 12 years old, and all on his own, boarded a ship voyaging from Italy to the United states.  Although his ticket read 3rd class, he was put to work while at sea.  After he arrived at Ellis Island, he joined his brother who was the elder by 6 years.  Together they quickly migrated from New York to Chicago in search of work and with the help of a parish priest, they were fortunate to find employment.  Oh, to have been a fly on the wall as these two warmhearted young brothers went searching for jobs when roads were gravel and landscape was rolling farmland.  By 1940 they were living in the far northwestern suburbs and loving it.   

   These handsome and gentle but determined young boys had to be resilient and went on to secure better jobs.  Michael (Pasquale) at General Electric and his brother Tony (Antonio) at Stewart-Warner.  They were from Marano Marchesato, a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.  The boys were too young to join the United States Army and enlist in World War I, and too old to enlist when World War II began, although they tried to enlist in both.   

   Rosemary's mother and father were "farmers at heart" so in addition to her father having a full time job in Chicago and commuting to the suburbs everyday, her parents, Mary and Michael, made a delicious extra large garden every year.  Rosemary and her family recalled with love the delivering of thousands of tomatoes and many other vegetables, bushel baskets full, all grown in the large family garden to the nuns at their church as well as to many fiends, relatives and neighbors every year.   

   She was an avid animal lover who fostered many cats and dogs until they were placed in loving homes. One of her favorite trips was to Italy with her husband.  After the passing of her father at a very young age, she became the strong, hardworking and determined, yet caring young lady that we all came to know and love.  Rosemary was a gracious hostess and she was the one who made the holidays fun.  Her Christmas cookies, lemon cake and whip cream salad were just delicious.   

   She will be remembered as a loving wife and stepmother, a simply wonderful sister, always a cheerleader for any endeavor her family pursued, an amazing cook and homemaker, a good friend with a playful sense of humor, a lover of nature and all animals, wild and domestic,  for her outgoing and vivacious personality, and for always helping others.  She was a member of St. Anne's Catholic Church in Barrington, Illinois.   

   She was preceded in death by her husband, Roland Higbee Sr.; her parents Michael and Mary Cairo (nee Belucci); aunt, Elsie Belucci; uncle, Tony (Antoinette) Cairo; uncle, Leonard (Jean nee McGuire) Futia; aunt, Sarah (Joseph) Abbinanti (nee Futia); and aunt, Theresa (Charles) Crabtree (nee Futia).   

   She is survived by her loving brother and sister, Jerry (Marian) Cairo, and Betty Ann Woodward; she also leaves behind many well-loved nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, step children, and many cousins.   

   Rosemary is survived by all the lives she touched and all the animals she saved.   

   Friends and family will gather on June 17, 2022 at 1pm till the time of service at 2:30pm at Davenport Family Funeral Home 149 W Main Street, Barrington. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Barrington.   

   A mass will be held at a later date.   

   The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their favorite charity in Rosemary's name or to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  Prayers and masses are always appreciated.