Rose Mary Bocek

Rose Mary Bocek died April 7, 2015, at the age of 90. Rose Mary was born Sept. 2, 1924, in Portland, to Rose and Mark Bocek; she was the third of four children. She grew up in North Portland, attended Blessed Sacrament grade school and went to Immaculata High School. She graduated from Marylhurst College in 1946 and received a master's degree from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1954. Rose Mary received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the UO Medical School in 1964. She did research at the Oregon Regional Primate Center and was the principal author of 12 and co-author of 33 papers about various aspects of intermediary metabolism of smooth and voluntary muscles. She worked for Kaiser Permanente in the medical lab until her retirement. Rose Mary moved to Mary's Woods at Marylhurst in 2000, where she was active in music, drama and literature. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Conroy of Portland; 12 nieces and nephews; and 16 grandnieces and nephews. Rose Mary was preceded in death by her older brothers, Dr. Max Bocek of Yakima and Mark Bocek of Seattle. A service will be held at noon Saturday, April 11, 2015, at the Mary's Woods Chapel. Funeral arrangements by Zeller Chapel of the Roses. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her honor to the Oregon Food Bank or the Northwest Medical Teams.