Rosemary Aflalo

Born in the Bronx, New York on August 19, 1960, she was the daughter of Julius and Jean (Sgroi) Grillo. Her aunt and uncle, the late Rose and Ted Alleyne, raised her as their daughter from her early childhood years after the passing of her parents.

Rosemary (“Ro” to many of her friends and family), grew up in the Bronx and attended Harry S. Truman High School. She began working at a community supermarket as a teen and it was there that she forged many early friendships that she maintained for 45 years. It was also at the supermarket where she met her future husband Dave, and they would go on to have a wonderful, loving 40-year marriage until parted by her death.

Ro moved to Connecticut in 1990 where she and Dave would raise their two daughters, Gina and Theresa. She remained employed in the retail grocery and banking industries for 20 years, serving in a variety of supervisory roles. Ro’s engaging and genuine personality led to the development of many more friendships, which she maintained and treasured throughout her life.

Ro’s love for animals was evident to all who knew her. She rescued many pets from local animal shelters and provided loving homes for them. She had a special place in her heart for “senior” dogs and cats that were typically less adoptable, and at the time of her death was “mom” to three rescued dogs and a rescued cat.

Her love of the beach, the sand, and the sun was woven into the fabric of her life from her teen years at Orchard Beach in the Bronx and Seaside Heights, NJ, to her later travels, which took her to the beaches of Hawaii, Long Island, Connecticut and North Carolina. It was in coastal North Carolina that Ro found her greatest happiness, vacationing each summer on Oak Island for over 20 years, with friends and family members. Her lifelong dream to retire in North Carolina began to take shape in 2021, when she and Dave purchased a summer home there.

In her later years, Ro developed an interest in visiting vineyards and wineries. While her tastes typically favored a Riesling variety, the flavor of the grape was always less important to her than the company of the many close lifelong friends who would regularly accompany her on these excursions.

By far, Ro’s greatest fulfillment in life came from the title she treasured the most, being “Nana” to her grandsons, Sean and Ryan. Her love for them was equaled only by their love for her, and her last 5 years were replete with countless joyous memories. In a life filled with its share of turns and detours, Ro’s grandsons provided a completion to her; the two final pieces to a vibrant mosaic of life started decades earlier.

Ro is survived by her loving and devoted husband of almost 40 years, David; her daughters Gina Bakalar (Jason) and Theresa Larsen, and two grandsons, Sean and Ryan, who were the light of her life. She is also survived by her 3 sisters; Tina Alberg (Fred), Theresa Grillo Doherty (Frank), Judy Grillo, her cousin Carl Alleyne (Dana) who she considered her brother, in addition to many other cousins, nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her beloved fur babies; Bella, Buttercup, Cinnamon and Belle. Ro’s kindness and compassion will live on through the people whose lives she touched and changed for the better.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary, 412 Ann Street, Wilmington, NC at 11:00 AM. A visitation hour will precede the Mass at the church, beginning at 10:00 AM. Interment to follow immediately afterwards at Oleander Memorial Gardens, 306 Bradley Drive, Wilmington, NC.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ro’s memory may be made to a pet rescue or animal humane society of the donor’s choosing.