Obituary

Forest City community mourns Rose Muraca

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The Forest City community in Wantagh is mourning longtime resident Rose D. Muraca, who died on June 28 — just 16 days before her 91st birthday.

Muraca, a Jamaica, Queens native, lived in Wantagh for about 60 years and was one of eight children. The daughter of a barber, friends and relatives said Muraca valued family and would do anything to help the people around her.

“She was part of a whole, that whole being her family,” said her son, Frank Muraca. “They all looked after each other, from the oldest down to the youngest.”

Muraca is predeceased by her husband, Cesare. They also had a daughter, JoAnn Muraca, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Frank noted that the skilled seamstress would make clothes for all members of the family, social events and for anyone in need in the neighborhood. 

“People would call her to fix an outfit or skirt,” he said. “Her community work was done on an individual basis, and she always reached out.”

As a young professional, Muraca worked as a secretary for the United States Atomic Energy Commission in Manhattan during World War II. When the war was over, she decided to commit all of her time to sewing and being a full-time mom.

“She even made some of my clothes, but I was picky,” Frank added with a laugh.

The Muracas were also very involved with St. Frances De Chantal Church on Wantagh Avenue, according to their children. They never missed a Sunday mass and helped with the restoration efforts after the sanctuary burned down in the fall of 1983.

“If you looked at my mother, she was a soldier of God, “ Frank said. “She never cared about herself; it was other people’s worries she cared about, she was always happy with your joy.”

Alex Muraca, one of Rose’s grandchildren said that some of her greatest memories with her involved simply talking over a cup of coffee. “My grandma was a social butterfly,” she said. “No matter where she went she was always chatting it up with people and making new friends. I think socializing and interacting with her family and friends were probably her favorite things to do. She always had a way of making you feel special.” 

Alex also liked to cook with her grandmother and get back to their Italian roots. “We hope that some of her cooking skills might have rubbed off on us,” she added with a laugh.

Muraca’s friends and family attended a mass at St. Frances De Chantal Church on July 2, to remember her life. She was buried at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale later that day.

“She could always see into other people and see into their hearts,” Frank said. “She was never a person to do things for recognition.”