Rosalind P. Carstens

On November 30, 2013, Rosalind P. Carstens, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 at the home of her daughter in Vienna, VA. Born April 29, 1922 in Perry, Iowa, she was the youngest child of Samuel and Marie Peel. After graduating from Perry High School in 1940, Rosalind attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1942 she relocated to Washington, DC, having accepted a civil service appointment to the Dept. of Navy; later she transferred to a position at the Central Intelligence Agency. While living in Washington, DC, Rosalind met her late husband, Raymond H. Carstens, a civil servant at the Dept. of Commerce. They married in 1945 and settled in Arlington, Virginia, where they raised a family and lived for over fifty years. Rosalind was a devoted mother and volunteer, helping in her daughters’ elementary schools and teaching Sunday school classes at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church. She was active in Girls Scouts, serving as a troop leader for her daughter’s troops, as service unit chairman and in other GSCNC positions. In the 1970’s, she returned to the work force with positions at airplane brokerage firms in Tyson’s Corner, VA and then in Poolesville, MD. After retiring, she pursued various hobbies, including traveling, cooking and genealogy. Most of all, she was devoted to her grandchildren; she loved taking care of them and they regarded her home as a second home. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Rosalind is preceded in death by her loving parents, Samuel and Marie Peel; her beloved husband of fifty-two years, Raymond H. Carstens; her four dearly loved brothers and sisters-in-law: Lloyd Peel and wife Mary, Lawrence Peel and wife Eva, Donald Peel and wife Martha, and Clarence Peel and wife Lois. Rosalind is survived by her two loving daughters, Christine Carstens and husband Stuart Kruger, and Suzanne Tognotti and husband Gino; four beloved grandchildren, Jordan and Jeffrey Kruger, and Kali and Katie Tognotti; and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends. Services have been entrusted to Murphy Funeral Home; 1102 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046. The family will receive visitors and friends on Thursday, December 5, 2013 from 10:00AM to 11:00AM with a funeral service following at 11:00AM at Murphy Funeral Home in the Chapel. A short graveside service will follow at Columbia Gardens Cemetery; 3411 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22201. To send the family condolences please visit www.murphyfuneralhomes.com.