Rosalie Marie (Giannone) Levitas passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of April 1, 2025. She was predeceased by her husband, Sheldon Levitas, her parents, Giuseppe and Marion Giannone, and her beloved granddaughter, Sara Johns.

Rosalie was a new member of the memory care unit at the Sheridan in Severna Park, getting to know the staff and the other residents over the past 6 weeks. Prior to that she lived with her son, Michael and daughter-in-law, Cathy, in LaVale, Maryland.

She was a proud New Yorker, a Brooklynite who never did forgive the Dodgers for leaving town. Many of her friends in Washington, DC and Maryland have heard numerous stories about her young life in Brooklyn and her adult life on Long Island, in Wantagh, NY. She raised three children: Michael, Janet, and Peter, served as President of the school PTA when the kids were in elementary school, coordinated hundreds of summer weekend trips to Jones Beach with the family and 1or 2 friends of the children, making and packing lunches and snacks to last all day, loading the Chevy station wagon with chairs, toys, the umbrella, the famous "brown bag" of various supplies, and then whipping up dinner in the evening while Shel hosed the kids down in the backyard. She returned to teaching after the older children were in middle school, and then worked in classified sales at New York Newsday for many years. In her retirement, she could often be found at the local Burger King, working on the daily crossword puzzle, drinking her mostly-Half-and-Half-coffee, and chatting with friends there. Rosalie and Shel often took the train into Manhattan for Broadway shows, various concerts, and then dinner at one of several of their favorite restaurants. They had their city fun one day at a time, and then returned to "the Island."

She and Shel moved to Washington, DC after he became ill and needed significant rehabilitation. Fortunately, he made a remarkable recovery, and Ro and Shel enjoyed several years as condominium floor-mates to son Peter, daughter-in-law, Victoria, and grandsons, Henry and Spencer. What a treat it was for her to see them daily, to watch the boys grow and change, and to sneak some overly-buttered English muffin bits to them! Moving south also allowed Ro and Shel to see more of daughter Janet and grandkids, Sara and Cody. The extended family often congregated at Ro and Shel's apartment for a special dinner, and these were times for lots of laughter, catching up and really enjoying each other.

At the very beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Shel passed away, and Rosalie moved to LaVale with Mike and Cathy. For almost 5 years, she could be seen on any reasonably warm day sitting in the driveway reading, often smoking, and waving to passing walkers or bicycle riders. She remained an avid reader until shortly before she died, and was a steady patron of the local library wherever she lived.

Our family is indebted to the many helpers who allowed Rosalie to live as she had hoped, with her family members. These include members of Comfort Keepers of Cumberland: Gloria, Kelly, Vicki, Jody, Kathy, Ewa, Lisa, Tina, Susan, and Pam. When she stayed with Janet and her husband, Chris, in Cape St. Claire, Tracy was a wonderful companion and helper. We appreciate the kind attention and compassion of these people.

She is survived by her loving family: son, Michael Levitas and daughter-in-law, Cathy Levitas, LaVale, MD; daughter, Janet Levitas and son-in-law, Chris Craft, Cape St. Claire, MD; son, Peter Levitas, daughter-in-law, Victoria Levitas, grandsons, Henry Levitas and Spencer Levitas, Chevy Chase, MD; grandson Daniel Levitas Deabler and his wife, Gabrielle Deabler, Raleigh, NC; grandson Matthew Levitas, his wife, Morgan Levitas, and great-grandchildren, Milo Levitas and Ollie Levitas, Kalamazoo, MI; grandson Ben Levitas-Zheng and his wife, Melanie Levitas-Zheng, Baltimore; grandson Cody Johns and his girlfriend, Uma Akundi, Elkridge, MD; and grandson-in-law, Ren Gibbons, Oakland, CA. In addition, she is survived by her brother, Joseph Giannone, his wife, Sybil, and their sons, Richard, Joseph and Paul, Sacramento, CA; cousin Joseph Piazza, Freehold, NJ, cousin Christine Piazza, Freehold, NJ, cousin Michael Piazza and family, Pinehurst, NC, and beloved cousins Susan Amico, Cape Coral, FL and Philip Amico, Fort Myers, FL.

Family and friends may visit on Sunday April 6, 2025 from 11:00am -1:00pm at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, P.A. 495 Ritchie Hwy Severna Park, MD 21146. A family time of remembrance will be held during the viewing at 12:00pm, which can be viewed below.

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