Rose Marie Dewey

Although her mother had a child from a previous marriage, Jerry Newsom, Rose Marie was the first of what we call the Dillon Clan, as there were nine more kids to come.

The Dillon family moved often, usually following the matriarch of the family, Grandmother Cate Dillon (Gommie) to various famous hotels where she was a cook.

They landed in Riverside, California in 1949 and Rose Marie graduated from Poly High School in 1954.

Rose Marie married in 1954 and had a son named Kenny in 1955, who preceded her in death in 2010. She remarried in 1959 to Glenn Dewey, and they had three girls, Katherine, Frances and Diana. Glenn had a son from a previous marriage, so Bill made a total five children.

Rose Marie worked for Delia’s Grinder during the early years for John and Tony Perrone, the founders of the “Grinder” as we all call it. It was here where she met Flo Stanley and her daughter Joanne. They would become Rose Marie’s best friends for life. Also joining her at Delia’s were her sisters Diane, Diana, Trish and her mother Pearl.

Additionally, Rose Marie met Glenn at Delia’s, and they were married for sixty-one years until Glenn’s death in 2020.

After marrying Glenn, Rose Marie worked for American National Life Insurance Company for five years. She worked alongside her best friend from high school, Shirley Allen.

Rose Marie then worked at The May Company where her bossy management skills were put to work. She loved the silver and china departments, and she was the top seller in those areas and won many awards for top sales.

When The May Company closed their San Bernardino location for a time, she retired after twenty-five years of service. She then went to work at the UCR Bookstore for ten years and worked alongside her beloved best friend, who has always lived across the street from our family, Ruth Brown.

Rose Marie was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Fire Department and held the office as President from 1968 to 1969.

Rose Marie is survived by four children; Bill Hanson (Susan), Katherine Evans (Eddie), Frances Bowerman (Jim, preceded in death), Diana Hayes (Robbi).

She has ten grandchildren; Joanne, Jennifer, Sarah, Scott, Brittany, Amber, Elaine, Josiah, Olivia and Joshua and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Rose Marie is also survived by her two brothers, Doyle and Bill and three sisters, Diane, Diana and Trish.Rose Marie Dewey, age 88, of Riverside, California passed away on Thursday, October 24, 2024. Rose Marie was born in NE.