Rosalie Angeline Zdansky Kocurek was born at home on June 22, 1933 to Frank and Antonia Zdansky in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was the fifth of seven children on a farm in the Kostoryz Czech Community. She attended Kostoryz Elementary School. The three-room school consisted of 9 grades. After elementary school, she attended Corpus Christi High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated at the young age of 16. Rosalie possessed natural intelligence, curiosity and creativity.
While growing up on the farm located on Weber Road which was a very rural area, she helped with all the farm chores including picking cotton. She often said the work was long and hard.
In 1954, Rosalie met her future husband, Eugene Kocurek, Sr., at a local community function. Eugene had been recently discharged from the United States Navy and the Korean Conflict. They married in January 1955 at Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Corpus Christi. Their first child, Eugene, Jr. was born in October 1955, followed by their daughter, Mary, in February 1957 and son, Larry, in December 1957. Their family became complete with the birth of their daughter, Jana, in June 1962.
During the early 1950s, Rosalie worked in an administrative capacity performing bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, and inventory for Spohn Hospital. She left her job at Spohn Hospital in the late 1950s as she and Eugene started their family. She returned to that job after their last child was born.
The 1960s brought Rosalie to new job roles. Rosalie assisted her husband in the building of a family owned business in convenience/grocery stores as well as the management of their ranches and farms. Rosalie worked beside her husband until their semi-retirement in the late 1990s. Even with her active role in the family business, Rosalie also found the time and energy to keep a very orderly and clean house.
Rosalie had many life interests beside caring for her family and being actively involved in the family business. She loved to sew and was a very good seamstress, sewing clothes for herself and her children. Her love for sewing inspired her granddaughter to pursue a career in fashion design. Complimenting her sewing interest was her love for craftwork. She rounded out her interests with a love of gardening and flowers.
Rosalie’s husband died at a relatively young age of only 68 and his death left her with the responsibilities that her husband had handled. As she grew older and more ill, those responsibilities were passed onto her daughter who lived nearby.
Rosalie had several health issues, but she had the resilience and desire not to have them hamper her. She maintained an active life and interests until the last few years.
Rosalie’s Catholic faith was central to her life. She was a long-time charter member of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church in Annaville and was a member of the KJZT, Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas.
Rosalie was proceeded in death by her parents: Frank and Antonia Zdansky; by her husband, Eugene Kocurek, Sr; her two brothers, John and Anton Zdansky; two sisters, Lillian Pacheco and Bertha Lampley. She is survived by her four children: Eugene Kocurek, Jr of Bluffton, Texas; Mary Poche (Mark) of Taos, New Mexico; Lawrence Kocurek of Odessa, Texas; Jana Vance (Clayton) of Corpus Christi. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Jaclyn Obel (Chris) of Covington, Louisiana; Jeffrey Kocurek (Laurin) of Anson, Texas; Meredith Saizan (Michael) of Austin, Texas; Jonathon Poche (Kristina) of Jarrell, Texas; Natalie Walker (Jake) of Austin, Texas; Nathan Vance (Courtney) of Trophy Club, Texas; Sarah Vance (John) of Chicago, Illinois; Justin Vance of Fleming Island, Florida. Rosalie is also survived by six great grandchildren: Lillian, Claire, Jackson and James Obel of Covington, Louisiana; Werner Kocurek of Anson, Texas; Emma Poche of Jarrell, Texas. Rosalie is also survived by her two remaining sisters; Francis Krupala of Harlingen, Texas and Sofie Perkins of Rockport, Texas. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Rosalie was exceptionally grateful to and well taken care of by her two care providers: Leslie Britt and Farra Gallardo-Cantu. She was also grateful and well taken care of by numerous doctors, nurses and other health care workers.
Visitation will be at 5:00 p.m. with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 19, 2019 at Memory Gardens Funeral Home (8200 Old Brownsville Rd., Corpus Christi). A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church (3901 Violet Rd., Corpus Christi) at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2019. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery of Corpus Christi.
To leave an online condolence to the family, please visit the website at www.memorygardensfuneralhome.com
