Babs was born July 2, 1943, in Goose Creek, Texas, to parents Albert “Shorty” Jacob Pillaert and Roseline Nettie Kelley, and was a longtime resident of Baytown. She attended Robert E. Lee High School and Lee College. As a young person she loved the theater and was very active in the Baytown Little Theater. Babs was a person who spent most of her life caring for others. In the spring of 1960, she and David Joe Zatopek wed and soon after they started a family raising their two young children, Jeff and Lisa. After a divorce, she married Robert “Bob” Eugene Emrick in 1970, and added his son, Mark Emrick, to her family. She was active as a volunteer at Pumphrey Elementary School and as a Cub Scout den mother. When her parent’s health declined, she cared for both Shorty and Nettie in her home. During this time she owned a cake decorating company and became a licensed security guard for Vanguard Security. She and Bob moved to Bruin, Pennsylvania for a short time where she cared for his mother, Rachel. They returned to Texas and soon after Bob was diagnosed with cancer and died. After she became a widow, Babs moved back to Baytown and moved in with her ex-mother-in-law, Rose Zatopek, and cared for Rose during her final days. Some of the happiest of times in her life where when Babs cared for not only her grandchildren, but the children of countless other families. She will always be fondly remembered as Gammy to many.
Throughout her life Babs had the opportunity to travel extensively across the US including Hawaii, Europe, the Galapagos, and Ecuador. In January of 2008, Babs suffered a series of devastating strokes which left her partially paralyzed, but cognitively well. She became a resident of Highland Park Care Center where she spent the remainder of her life and proudly served on the Resident’s Council for many years as the President, Secretary and Treasurer. Her physical condition did not end her ability to enjoy life or care for others. In 2018 her ex-sister-in-law, Margie Kloesel, became her roommate. Margie suffered from Alzheimer’s and Babs made certain she was properly cared for. Until Babs was diagnosed with Covid-19 on June 22, 2020, she remained positive and hopeful. She stated a week prior to her death that, “The Lord has always provided for me and I have lived a good life.”
Roseline was preceded in death by her parents Albert “Shorty” Jacob Pillaert and Roseline Nettie Kelley; her husband Robert “Bob” Eugene Emrick; and daughter-in-law, Laura Cen Ward. She is survived by her sister Edna Elizabeth Pillaert; her son Jeffery Lee Zatopek; her daughter Lisa Zatopek Hopmann and her husband Ernest “Bo”; Stepson, Mark Eugene Emrick, and her grandchildren: Amber Nicole Zatopek, Elizabeth Rose Hopmann and Anita Dawne Hopmann.
Since 2008, Roseline’s spiritual life has been nurtured by two churches. The first is Trinity Lutheran Downtown, 800 Houston Ave, Houston, TX 77007, where she attended church prior to her illness and has had biweekly visits by the Homebound Ministry lead by Pastor Donald Black. He always brought with him the sacrament of communion, attentive conversation and flowers donated from the church for Babs to enjoy. His friendship and visits were blessings to her. The second is the Empact Houston Church of Christ, 1704 Weber Street, Houston, TX 77007, where their outreach ministry allowed for her to attend church almost every Sunday for 10 years with Pastor Ron Sellers. If the wheelchair accessible van could pick her up, she would be at church as a greeter, handing out the bulletins, and enjoying lunch. It was her social outing once a week that she looked forward to so very much.
In lieu of flowers memorials in her honor may be made to either of these churches.
Roseline was a caring and loving person: a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. She was loved and will be greatly missed. Her funeral service will be graveside at Sterling-White Cemetery 11011 Crosby-Lynchburg Rd. Highlands, TX 77562, Monday July 13, 2020, at 3:30pm.
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