Rosemary Mendzela

Rosemary Mendzela, 81 passed away on December 13, 2020 at Adventist Healthcare, White Oak Medical Center.  She was born September 27,1939 in Kingwood, West Virginia to Oscar and Gertrude Greaser Griffith.  She married "Mack" June 27,1964 who preceded her in Death on June 28, 2014.  They were married 50 years.

Rosemary was a outgoing, flamboyant, loving and independent woman who was adored by many.  She made new friends where ever she was.  After tragically losing her father when she was 15, Rosemary moved to Washington DC at 17.  She was recruited her senior year of high school (because of her impeccable typing skills) with other young women from around the country.  She lived in a hostile run by nuns and worked for the CIA on Capital Hill until she married Mack in 1964. She changed jobs around that time and worked closer to home in Silver Spring.

Rosemary was an expert ballroom dancer and met the love of her life, Mack  at a dance.  She would fondly tell the story of him laying eyes on her and telling his friend, "I'm gonna marry that girl."  They dated for several years and married. If you were ever with them at any event with music they would be dancing together, people stopped dancing just to watch them, they were mesmerizing.

They welcomed their one and only son Eric into the world Nov 13,1966.  She would tell us this was one of the best days of her life.  According to Rosemary, being a Mom to Eric was her number one accomplishment. She was a lover of books, and read and studied numerous book on parenting.
After having Eric, being a homemaker and Mom was her most beloved job.  She welcomed all of Eric's friends into their home and treated them as if they were her own. She will be missed. Rosemary was a friend to many. Rosemary never missed an opportunity to boast about her family and her beloved grandchildren.

She was wife of the late Marion "Mack" Mendzela for 50 years; mother of Eric Joseph (Amy) Mendzela; grandmother of Taylor Leigh (Dylan) Fox, Avery Joseph (Shannon) Mendzela and Paige Ashby Mendzela; great-grandmother of Sloane Olivia Fox; sister of John (Terri) Griffith, Helen Clingerman and Rick (Patricia "Pat") Griffith; also survived by many nieces, nephews and godchildren.