Celebrating the Life of Rosemary Adeline Byrne

September 12, 1957 – April 4, 2016

Date of Funeral: Saturday, May 21, 2016 - 2:00 pm

Roseville Lutheran Church

Rosemary Adeline Byrne passed away at Peppi’s House, the inpatient hospice house at Tucson Medical Center, on Monday, April 4, 2016, after a six month struggle with metastatic breast cancer. She was 58 years old. Rose was born in Benson, Minnesota, on September 12, 1957. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in De Graff, Minnesota. She graduated from Benson High School in 1976. Rose graduated from UW-Eau Claire, in 1980, with a BA in History and Art; and a minor in Classical Art History. After she graduated, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, at the invitation of her aunt Loretta (Etta) Dineen Quinn. She received her Master’s Degree in History, with an emphasis in Historical Editing and Publishing, in 1986, from ASU-Tempe. She completed an internship in editing at the Signs Journal at Stanford in 1982. For her Master’s thesis, she interviewed a number of retired Army nurses (including her mother), and wrote an oral history on the experience of Army Nurses in World War II. Rose worked for twelve years as an Archivist at the Arizona Historical Society, while also performing freelance editing work. Her many interests included birdwatching, woodworking, and art collecting. She satisfied her interest in science through her work with the American Red Cross services for more than a decade. Growing up on a farm in western Minnesota, Rose developed a love of nature and animals from an early age. After moving to Arizona in 1980, she had many adventures exploring the wilderness and vistas of the Southwest that she loved; including the Sonoran Desert and the Grand Canyon. She always shared her home with one or two feline friends; and she took great pleasure in raising chickens in her backyard coop. Rose was preceded in death by her parents, John and Isabelle (Dineen) Byrne. She is survived by her partner, N. Kay Dodder. She is also survived by her sister, Linda; her brothers, Pat (Bev), Tom (Nancy), and Jack (Tena); four nieces: Laura (Juan) Orellana, Kari (Bryan) Pratt, Amanda Dachtera, and Lillian Eldred; two nephews: Joe (Alissa), and Dan (Holly); and seven great-nieces: Catarina, Elisabeth, Leila, Celia, Olivia, Piper, and Isabelle.Partnered with N. Kay Dodder since 1985, a dream came true when they were married in San Francisco on October 10, 2013. Scholar, poet, artist, and ardent feminist, Rose approached all of her activities with a unique passion and energy that inspired all who knew her. She always found more to explore, to be curious about, and to learn. Her humor, kindness, and loyal friendship were enjoyed by a wide circle of friends. Her love of nature and justice were guiding principles in all her actions. Memorials may be directed to: Donations in her memory can be sent to Heifer International or the Grand Canyon Association.

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