Rosemarie Petro Koury

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, July 17, 2010, at St. Genevieve Church for Rosemarie Petro Koury, who died, July 15, 2010, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Interment take place at Calvary Cemetery in Lafayette. The Reverend Curtis Mallet of St. Genevieve Church will be the Celebrant of the Mass and conduct the services. A true Christian woman, Rosemarie exhibited her faith in the way she lived her life. She loved simplicity and preferred the riches of the soul to the riches of the world. Rosemarie Petro Koury was born on May 10, 1928, in Lafayette, Louisiana to parents of Lebanese descent, Florida and Joseph Petro. She was always beautiful and at the age of 3, she was named the 'Most Beautiful Baby in Lafayette'. Upon graduation from high school, she set out to discover the world and there was no better place for her romantic soul than Hollywood. Employment with Western Union brought Rosemarie to California but her love of family called her home. Rosemarie's physical beauty was matched by her inner beauty. She found love with Leon Koury. They married and had three children: Jackie, Connie and David. Her children were her priority and she participated in every event in their lives. Whether it was serving food in their school's cafeteria, taking a lunch break from work at 3:00 in the afternoon so she could pick them up from school or traveling in a caravan for a Teurlings High School football game, there was no effort too great for her children. She believed in education and worked hard so that they could attend private schools and her children knew that attending college was not optional. As a single mother, Rosemarie had a tender heart but demonstrated extraordinary strength in guiding her children as she instilled in them moral values and beliefs. Retail sales made up the majority of her work life. Rosemarie worked at Les Amis' Florist and Gifts for thirty years and reveled in her job as a bridal consultant. She constantly bragged about her 'brides' and the wonderful young women and men she formed relationships with in this role. Her work kept her close to the beauty of romance and love that she found inspirational. Her church was her sanctuary and her strong religious beliefs were exhibited in her many church related organizations. She belonged to the Catholic Daughters #1537, Court Alice Boucher; Ladies' Altar Society, sang in the St. Genevieve Church Choir and participated in many organized prayer groups. Rosemarie worked hard for her community and charities. She was active in the Cedars' Club, served on the Teurlings' School Board and participated in St. Jude Hospital and Business Women's activities with her mother. Singing, dancing and performing were a part of every family event. Her mother and father filled their home with music and provided opportunities for each of their children to develop their talents. She had a sultry, soulful voice and could shimmy her shoulders with the best of them. Rosemarie had a special bond with her brother Junior and her sister Cathy in music and in life. Christmas was spent at Junior's house and was preceded by the Christmas Eve performances at Eddie and Elaine Dominque's. Rosemarie's friends were of all ages and were quite diverse. She was a terrific listener and loved her role as counselor. Whether she was called 'Rose', 'Rosie', 'Rosita', 'Marie' or 'Ms. Rose' she answered the call. This elegant and generous person will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her. Rosemarie is survived by her children, Jacqueline 'Jackie' Koury Johnson and her husband John, Constance 'Connie' Ann Koury, and David Leon Koury; her grandchildren, Jennifer Johnson Sellers and her husband Jed and Diana Elizabeth Johnson; her great grandchild, Caroline Marie Sellers; her brother Joseph Petro, Jr. and his wife Edrea and her sister, Catherine (Cathy) A. Petro; and numerous nieces and nephews, friends and a large extended family. She was predeceased in death by her beloved mother and father, Joseph S. Petro, Sr. and Florida Dominique Petro; her uncles Alcide and Edward Dominique and George Elias; her aunts Victoria Dominique Ashy, Eva Dominique Venable, Mary Petro Elias; her mother-in-law Victoria Ashy Koury; sister-in law Elaine Koury Dominique and her brothers-in-law Joseph and John Koury, numerous nieces and nephews and friends. Her pallbearers will be her son-in-law John Johnson; her grandson-in-law Jed Sellers; her nephews Joseph Petro, III, George Petro and Gregory Petro; and her nephew-in-law Michael Voorhies. Honorary pallbearers are her nephews Paul and Kenneth Petro; and her nephews-in-law Paul Giroir and Patrick Molbert. A rosary will be prayed by the Catholic Daughters and Altar Society members of St. Genevieve Parish at 6:00 p.m. on July 16, 2010, at Delhomme Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 2010 and again on Saturday, July 17, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral services. The family would like to thank the many people who assisted their mother and the family during Rosemarie's time of illness: her many doctors, their nurses and staffs and her loving personal caregivers. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given in Rosemarie Koury's name to the American Cancer Society at P.O. Box 52884, Lafayette, LA, 70505 or to Hospice of Acadiana at 2600 Johnston Street, Ste. 200, Lafayette, LA, 70503. Personal condolences may be made to the Koury family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Rosemarie Petro Koury

May 10, 1928 - July 15, 2010