Rose Marie Ciolli

July 5, 1933 - February 6, 2025

With heavy hearts the Ciolli family announces the passing of Rose Marie Ciolli, who died at the age of 91.

Rose was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, the daughter of Joseph and Josephine (Galante) Muscatello. She was the second oldest of six siblings. She graduated from East High School in 1951.

In 1955 she met her future husband, Angelo Ciolli, and on September 20, 1958 they were married. Together they made a life filled with love and happiness. They called each other “Heart of my Heart,” which, over the years, was shortened to, simply, “Heart.” Side by side they moved to several different cities, in each new place making a home and friends. In 1976, Angelo and Rose settled in the beautiful and mountainous desert of El Paso, Texas and that is where they called home and raised their two children.

Rose spoke fondly of her early work life – working at her sister Phyllis’s hair salon, her time at Strouss-Hirshberg, where she eventually became a buyer for the ladies fashion department, and other positions she found as she and Angelo moved around the country. Later in life she became the visual merchandiser at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, responsible for setting up the mall’s yearly Christmas and Easter decorations, and for many years she ran the very popular Holiday House, first out of her home and eventually at Black’s Nursery. She spent countless hours volunteering.

But Rose was first and foremost a caretaker and was a devoted and loving wife and mother. She had the most tender heart and couldn’t bear to see anyone unhappy or unloved or left out. Anyone in her vicinity was brought under her wing and cared for. Not only her family – first her younger siblings, then her husband, children, grandchild, son- and daughter-in-law and their families – but also her friends, her childrens’ friends, even strangers she met in her daily life. People were important to Rose.

Rose loved Christmas, crossword puzzles, Hallmark movies, and the book “Jane Eyre.” The song “You Are My Sunshine” – a song she used to sing with her sisters – always made her cry. She looked at the world through “Rose-”colored glasses and always saw the best in everyone. She was creative and an excellent seamstress and artist. She was a storyteller, and especially loved to recount stories from her childhood and when she was newly married. She loved to sit outside and watch the birds. She loved her dogs. She took up line dancing, where she met many of her closest and dearest friends. She was proud of her Italian heritage. She was a fantastic cook and baker, with Italian dishes being her best (and most requested). Everyone felt welcome and was well-fed in the Ciolli household thanks to Rose. Although she loved the life she made with Angelo, she never stopped missing her family in Youngstown.

Rose is survived by her children, daughter Jinx Ciolli Christensen and husband Steve Christensen, her son Joseph Ciolli and wife Annette Ditty; her grandson Joseph Christensen; her two sisters, June (Jack) Palermo and Judith (Bill) Canacci, and by many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Angelo Ciolli, her parents, her sisters Phyllis DeLucia and Brenda Gaglione, and her brother Joseph Muscatello.

The family would like to thank the compassionate and loving caregivers and hospice workers who helped the family care for Rose in her final year of life.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation in Rose’s name to House of Friends at Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin, TX.

To donate online, go to: bethany-umc.org/house-of-friends/ and:

● Click “Donate Online”

● On the donations page, in the text field marked “Let us know where your gift/payment should be applied” enter “In memory of Rose Marie Ciolli”

● Under Mission and Outreach, select “House of Friends Donation”

Or to donate by mail, mail a check to:

House of Friends

Bethany United Methodist Church

10010 Anderson Mill Rd

Austin, TX 78750-2127

Please make check payable to”Bethany United Methodist Church, House of Friends Program” with “In memory of Rose Marie Ciolli” in the memo field

A funeral mass for Rose will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at St Raphael Catholic Church, 2301 Zanzibar, El Paso, Texas 79925.