Rosmarie Kuhn

Rosmarie “Rose” (Buff) Kuhn, 73, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, Omey, aunt, godmother, and dear friend, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Rose was a fearless woman of strong conviction, endless kindness, and deep compassion who will be forever missed.

Rose was born on March 1, 1953, in Uzwil, Switzerland, to Jakob Buff and Gertrud (Schwarzer) Buff. She was the oldest of seven children and helped her parents raise her siblings, a role that reflected the caring and nurturing spirit she would carry throughout her life. At the age of 20, she courageously moved to Norway to work as an au pair, where she developed a love of seafood and travel. A year later, she relocated to the Town of Rye, New York, where she would meet her husband of 50 years, Rolf Kuhn. Rose and Rolf spent many years going on exciting adventures before realizing her dream of becoming a mother. She was a devoted and loving mother to her daughters, Sabrina and Pam. She supported her family in all their endeavors, and the four of them made many happy memories traveling the world together. In addition to being a dedicated wife and mother, Rose took great joy in running an in-home daycare, caring for many young children in Holmes, NY, and later in Cheshire, CT, after Rolf’s career required them to relocate.

Later in life, Rose pursued another longstanding dream and became a nurse. She touched the lives of many patients while providing home care through the VNA and then spent many years working at Masonicare as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). One of the major highlights in her career was being honored with the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing in May of 2013.

Family remained at the forefront of Rose’s life as her daughters began families of their own. In 2012, Pam married Michael Lenkowski of Middlebury, CT, and in 2014, Sabrina married Michael Lachowicz of Cheshire, CT. Rose embraced both of her son-in-law’s, affectionately known as her two Mike’s, as her own. Pam and Mike would go on to welcome Brianna, Michael, and Emily, while Sabrina and Mike welcomed Claire, Jake, and Noah. Rose then stepped into her favorite role of her lifetime: being an amazing Omey to her six grandbabies. She showered them all with so much love and instilled in them a love of travel from a young age. Rose always spoke of her six grandbabies with so much pride and developed a special bond with each child.

An avid lover of knitting and crocheting, Rose completed countless hats, sweaters, blankets, shawls, scarves and mittens for family and friends. She spent many hours in her orchard, lovingly planting fruits, vegetables, and fruit trees, and enjoyed harvesting the results with her grandchildren. All of her homes were surrounded by beautiful flowers, both inside and out, and she had a special talent for resurrecting plants when others had been unsuccessful.

Rose and Rolf traveled extensively across four continents, and Rose was always planning their next trip. Her favorite destinations included Tahiti, China, Japan, Mexico, Alaska, and Australia. For the past several summers, Rose enjoyed taking her grandkids to Switzerland so they could experience her native homeland. Rose loved nothing more than taking a leisurely stroll along any beach in the world. She always excitedly pointed out the beauty in a sunset, a shell, the clouds, or the flowers.

In addition to her immediate family, Rose leaves behind her mother, three sisters, two brothers, and many nieces and nephews in Switzerland. She was preceded in death by her father Jakob Buff and brother Roger Buff.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to Dr. Jill Lacy and her team at the Yale GI Oncology Clinic, the Masonicare Home Health Team, and the entire team at the CT Hospice Center for the exceptional care, kindness and compassion they provided to Rose and her family.

As Rose would not want people mourning her incredible life, a Celebration of Life will be held in her honor on Friday, October 16, at 11 a.m. at DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 No. Main St., Southington, CT. A luncheon will follow at Testa’s, located at 26 S. Center St. in Southington. To honor Rose, the family requests that attendees wear their favorite florals or beach colors to represent Rose’s love of gardening and the ocean. Children are welcome, as Rose would not have it any other way.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you instead plant a tree or flower in her honor. Making the world a more beautiful place is something Rose did best. And if there is a trip you’re thinking about taking, go ahead and go—Rose would have wanted you to.