Rose Marie (Pisarski) Hodge

HODGE, Rose Marie, (Pisarski), 94, Marion, IN, formerly of Portage, PA. She was born in Portage, Pennsylvania to Stanley Pisarski and Mary Czupal Pisarski as one of eleven children (according to the naturalization documents of Mary-there are some discrepancies with other documents as to birthdates, etc.). Her father Stanley was born in Gdow, Poland, served in the Australian cavalry for almost 4 years then traveled on the vessel "Vaterland" to Staten Island, New York and made his way to Puritan, Pennsylvania where he settled down. Her mother Mary was born in Darczyce, Poland and at age 19 traveled to Liverpool, England where she boarded the vessel "SS Celtic" to Staten Island, New York. Mary made Portage, Pennsylvania her home and married in 1921 at the Sacred Heart Church where generations continued to be baptized, receive the sacraments, marry and have funerals never imagining that their church would be demolished in 2021. They both preceded Rose in death as well as her mother and father-in-law. Rose was preceded in death by her beloved husband Gaza S. Hodge in November of 1973, also one of eleven children. They met in Portage, Pennsylvania and had 5 children together. Rose was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, godmother, aunt and friend. Rose was a true angel. She would give you the shirt off her back. She held no grudges and had no enemies. She enjoyed everyone. Rose was our hero and role model. She was a hard worker, selfless, kind to others, caring, loving and honest. She was a devout Roman Catholic and taught us to "treat others the way we wanted to be treated" and to "turn the other cheek". Rose always put others first. Rose also lost her brothers: Stanley, Joe, Chester and Louie Pisarski And her sisters: Stella Hudak, Josephine, Mary Mastaller, Sophie Callahan, and Louise. And brothers-in-law: Rudy Notich, Nick Hudak and Tom Mastaller as well as her Hodge brothers-in-laws. And sisters-in-law: Ann, Betty and Ellen Pisarski and her Hodge sisters-in-laws. And nephew: Chris Pisarski; And grandson: Justin Jessup; Rose is survived by her children: Daughter: Roseann K. Hodge Skarin and her husband Dean; Grandchildren and spouses and great-grandchildren: Kristy and husband Alec and daughter Charlotte; Ryan and wife Kristine and sons Tyler and Daniel; Stephanie and husband Diogenes. Son: Gaza S. Hodge of Marion, IN, and his wife Robin; Granddaughter Jeni Kelly, great-granddaughters Gabrielle Calobrace and Andrea Kelly, great-grandson Gage Kelly, grandson Justin Jesup (deceased) and great-grandson Elijah Jessup, great-great-granddaughter Charlotte Bishir and great-great-grandson Bennett Bishir. Daughter: Carol M. Hodge Kaufmann and her husband Eric of Irmo, South Carolina; Grandsons: Joshua, Jacob, Jonathan and Joseph Kaufmann. Daughter: Mary and her husband Lyle; Grandsons: Nicholas and Alexander. Son: Joseph F. and his wife Alivia K. Sisters: Jennie Notich of Pennsylvania and Helen Chippo and her husband Nick of Connecticut. Multiple nieces and nephews, godchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great grand nieces and great-grandnephews from the Pisarski and Hodge families. Rose is also survived by 2 special families who became an intricate part of her/our lives and became a part of her/our family. She was always there for them as they were for her. She felt honored to be loved by them and they will forever be in her heart. She had many wonderful memories both past and present with them and so many stories to tell. "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." by Richard Bach. Rev Tiruchelvan and her late husband Rohan; son Ryan and his wife Assul and children Mason and Madeline Rose; son Richard and his wife Julissa and son Logan. Vicki Durnil (Dixon); daughters Tracie and Jennifer and their families. Rose loved her fur babies: Pepito Gonzales the 7th, JeanPierre, Onri, Sky, Colby, Isabella, Sarah, Sophie, Brooke, and Molly. Rose loved the outdoors: gardening, planting flowers, mowing the yard, raking leaves, her pear and apple trees and her prized grapevine from her brother as well as her roses. She loved picking berries with her father, playing baseball, picking feathers off chickens around the table when young and using the slats off barrels as snow skis in the winter. She loved the tomato and strawberry garden she shared with someone special. She loved the white birch trees of Colorado, collecting seashells at the beach and walking in the sand where the water laps up at your ankles. She loved to travel in the car, a true road warrior trips to our grandmother's homes in Pennsylvania for all holidays and summer vacations, trips to South Carolina to celebrate Halloween, a birthday, an anniversary and to just enjoy her grandsons every year at least once. Rose felt that time spent with family was the most special gift we could give to someone. I remember that if I kept my grades up, I could stay home and spend the day with her. To quote Walt Disney, "The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem." Rose just loved life and all it has to offer. She loved getting hugs. She loved music and to polka at family weddings in Pennsylvania. She loved to do the chicken dance and the bridal dance. She also loved singing We Built This City by Starship and Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus with her loved ones. She loved the Doris Day song Que Sera, Sera. Rose loved automobile racing. She loved meeting the drivers and getting autographs and pictures with them. She loved Helio Castroneves and cheered him on in every race whether in person or while watching on TV. She even met and posed for pictures with Julienne Hough when she was on Dancing with the Stars with Helio. Rose enjoyed children and they all responded to her like they just sensed something very special about her. She loved all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They always brought a smile to her face and calmed in her presence. Some special memories mentioned by loved ones include picking raspberries on the farm, clipping coupons, rummage sales, boating on Wagner Lake, and going through the exercise stations with balance beams at the park. Rose also loved the woods and hiking, once discovering a hidden old cemetery. She was known for her peanut butter ball cookies, gob cake, pecan cookies and especially her fried chicken nuggets. She made them before Chick-fil-A existed! You can probably tell how much we love and admire our mother. We would not be who we are today without her. She was an amazing mom and role model. During WW2, she made light bulbs at a General Electric factory in Cleveland, Ohio during the week then picked peas with her girlfriends on weekends to earn money for the family. When even younger, she cared for a doctor's children and then a very sick woman both in Johnstown. To accomplish this, she rode the bus- by herself- from Portage to Johnstown, took the Johnstown incline, then walked to their homes. Others remember listening to a funny radio station where they just laughed on the way home from school in her 1985 Ford Tempo, staying up all hours playing 'May I?" card game with family, playing Pinochle with her siblings and her father, playing bingo at the church halls, and just enjoyed sitting and spending time with someone and watching TV. Our dad passed at a young age and our mom took on the task of raising us all. She had to conquer her fear and learn to drive. She worked at any odd job she could find. She babysat so she could be available to us and help us with school assignments and drive us to and from places and attend our sporting events when possible. Mom also helped us with our paper routes (she sometimes actually did them for us!) every morning at 5 AM for over 30 years, rain or shine. She cleaned homes, did yard work and any job to earn an income- and all without complaining. Mom's goal was for us to get a wonderful education to provide a chance at a good life. She succeeded. She mainly wanted us to be a close family and never lose sight of who we were. We grew up as a team and were there for each other and always knew mom was there for us. "Family is a life jacket in the stormy sea of life" by JK Rowling. Another: "In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit" author unknown. Rose will be shown from 3-4 and 6-8 pm, Friday, January 21, 2022, at the Serenko-Claar Funeral Home, PC, Portage. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Saturday, January 22, 2022, at Holy Family Parish, Father Tom Stabile, T.O.R., celebrant. She will be laid to rest at the joint cemetery of The Sacred Heart Parish and the St. John the Baptist Cemetery following the mass. Online condolences may be made at serenkoclaarfuneralhome.com

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