Rosemary Bashaar Stroupe

Rosemary Bashaar Stroupe of Raleigh passed away peacefully at UNC Rex Hospital on Sunday morning, August 30, 2026, surrounded by her loving husband, Bill; her son, Erich; her daughter-in-law, Candi; and her grandson, Holden, following courageous battles with heart and lung disease. She was 80 years old.

Rosemary will be remembered by her family, friends, and colleagues as a giving person who devoted her life to caring for others, both professionally and personally. She tirelessly served 45 years as a Registered Nurse in a doctor’s office, on the staff of Rex Hospital at its former Wade Avenue location, as a Nurse-Aide Instructor at Resources for Seniors, and in various nursing positions throughout Wake County and North Carolina State Government.

Rosemary considered the final decade of her career, serving as a TB Control Nurse, her favorite mission. She delivered medications to tuberculosis patients, carefully monitored their treatment, and made sure they took their medications as prescribed. Her dedication to this work earned her recognition in a News & Observer article about tuberculosis control. The Triangle Business Journal named her a Health Hero, and she was also honored as a Wake County Employee of the Month. She retired in June 2010.

Retirement, however, did not mean slowing down. Rosemary stayed busy caring for her grandsons and filling her home with the things she loved: baking, cooking, sewing, knitting, and crocheting. Before her health began to falter, she was an avid reader who devoured mysteries, occasional romances, and wide-ranging nonfiction, with a particular interest in stories about heroic Holocaust survivors.

Rosemary was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1945, to John Ernest and Nora Bashaar (Fulton). She was the middle of three children, with older brother John R. Bashaar and younger brother Charles W. Bashaar. The family attended Unionville Methodist Church, and Rosemary graduated from Freedom High School.

She went on to graduate from the Columbia Hospital School of Nursing in Columbia, South Carolina, and worked as a nurse in the Pittsburgh area before moving to Raleigh in 1968. Four years later, she met William E. Stroupe. Rosemary and Bill were married on August 26, 1972, in Rochester, Pennsylvania.

Their son, Erich Karl Stroupe, was born on June 26, 1976. Erich married Candi Whitley Stroupe on July 9, 1999, and together they gave Rosemary and Bill two beloved grandsons, Holden and Finley.

Rosemary and Bill celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary just four days before her passing—a testament to the enduring love and partnership they shared throughout their lives.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents, John Ernest and Nora Bashaar (Fulton), and her older brother, John R. Bashaar. She is survived by her devoted husband, Bill; her son, Erich; daughter-in-law, Candi; grandsons, Holden and Finley; and her younger brother, Charles W. Bashaar of Elk Grove, Illinois.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, September 4, 2026 at Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh. The family receive friends prior to the service at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Rosemary’s memory to the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, or the American Nurses Foundation.