With a life touched by politics early on and physical pain later on, Stacy Rosten-McDarrah lived for the simple things in life.
The daughter of former U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski died Monday at Rush University Medical Center. Cancer and kidney problems proved to be too much after months of fighting. She was 47.
"She was an outgoing kid who until two weeks ago was participating in our church," her father said. "She loved her little boy so much that while she was in pain she participated in athletic events."
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah grew up in the Pulaski Park neighborhood and graduated from Good Counsel High School in 1978. She was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines for 22 years before departing to care for her son, Robert, full time.
She met her husband, Robert McDarrah, through his sister and were friends before the relationship turned romantic.
"One of her passions was that every holiday, the class- room for her son, each kid got candy trinkets," McDarrah said. "She loved putting on a party. She would not miss a detail. As she put it, 'Lets go make some memories.' "
Took pain 'gracefully'
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah had a kidney transplant in the 1980s and began to suffer from problems in 2005. As her ankles began to swell, making physical ventures more difficult, she didn't let it prohibit her from doing what she loved.
She took 8-year-old Robert skiing in Utah and then drove to Florida.
"She took more [pain] than anybody I could imagine could take," McDarrah said. "She took it gracefully. We did a rafting trip in August."
For the last three Christmas holidays she organized a breakfast with Santa for the children at St. Mary of the Woods School in Chicago.
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah was described by friends and family as a person who lived for her son and made sure he was able to experience everything she did as a child. She loved children so much she grew her hair out to make wigs for kids with cancer.
"Kids were her passion," her husband said. "When we got Robert, it was just the icing on the cake. She grew up in a very political family and was not really fazed by the hoopla."
In addition to her son, husband and father, Mrs. RostenMcDarrah is survived by her sisters Dawn, Kristie and Gayle Rosten and her mother, LaVerne Rostenkowski.
Visitation is at 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary of the Woods Church. Funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday, with burial to follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery.
The daughter of former U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski died Monday at Rush University Medical Center. Cancer and kidney problems proved to be too much after months of fighting. She was 47.
"She was an outgoing kid who until two weeks ago was participating in our church," her father said. "She loved her little boy so much that while she was in pain she participated in athletic events."
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah grew up in the Pulaski Park neighborhood and graduated from Good Counsel High School in 1978. She was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines for 22 years before departing to care for her son, Robert, full time.
She met her husband, Robert McDarrah, through his sister and were friends before the relationship turned romantic.
"One of her passions was that every holiday, the class- room for her son, each kid got candy trinkets," McDarrah said. "She loved putting on a party. She would not miss a detail. As she put it, 'Lets go make some memories.' "
Took pain 'gracefully'
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah had a kidney transplant in the 1980s and began to suffer from problems in 2005. As her ankles began to swell, making physical ventures more difficult, she didn't let it prohibit her from doing what she loved.
She took 8-year-old Robert skiing in Utah and then drove to Florida.
"She took more [pain] than anybody I could imagine could take," McDarrah said. "She took it gracefully. We did a rafting trip in August."
For the last three Christmas holidays she organized a breakfast with Santa for the children at St. Mary of the Woods School in Chicago.
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah was described by friends and family as a person who lived for her son and made sure he was able to experience everything she did as a child. She loved children so much she grew her hair out to make wigs for kids with cancer.
"Kids were her passion," her husband said. "When we got Robert, it was just the icing on the cake. She grew up in a very political family and was not really fazed by the hoopla."
In addition to her son, husband and father, Mrs. RostenMcDarrah is survived by her sisters Dawn, Kristie and Gayle Rosten and her mother, LaVerne Rostenkowski.
Visitation is at 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary of the Woods Church. Funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday, with burial to follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery.
With a life touched by politics early on and physical pain later on, Stacy Rosten-McDarrah lived for the simple things in life.
The daughter of former U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski died Monday at Rush University Medical Center. Cancer and kidney problems proved to be too much after months of fighting. She was 47.
"She was an outgoing kid who until two weeks ago was participating in our church," her father said. "She loved her little boy so much that while she was in pain she participated in athletic events."
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah grew up in the Pulaski Park neighborhood and graduated from Good Counsel High School in 1978. She was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines for 22 years before departing to care for her son, Robert, full time.
She met her husband, Robert McDarrah, through his sister and were friends before the relationship turned romantic.
"One of her passions was that every holiday, the class- room for her son, each kid got candy trinkets," McDarrah said. "She loved putting on a party. She would not miss a detail. As she put it, 'Lets go make some memories.' "
Took pain 'gracefully'
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah had a kidney transplant in the 1980s and began to suffer from problems in 2005. As her ankles began to swell, making physical ventures more difficult, she didn't let it prohibit her from doing what she loved.
She took 8-year-old Robert skiing in Utah and then drove to Florida.
"She took more [pain] than anybody I could imagine could take," McDarrah said. "She took it gracefully. We did a rafting trip in August."
For the last three Christmas holidays she organized a breakfast with Santa for the children at St. Mary of the Woods School in Chicago.
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah was described by friends and family as a person who lived for her son and made sure he was able to experience everything she did as a child. She loved children so much she grew her hair out to make wigs for kids with cancer.
"Kids were her passion," her husband said. "When we got Robert, it was just the icing on the cake. She grew up in a very political family and was not really fazed by the hoopla."
In addition to her son, husband and father, Mrs. RostenMcDarrah is survived by her sisters Dawn, Kristie and Gayle Rosten and her mother, LaVerne Rostenkowski.
Visitation is at 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary of the Woods Church. Funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday, with burial to follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery.
The daughter of former U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski died Monday at Rush University Medical Center. Cancer and kidney problems proved to be too much after months of fighting. She was 47.
"She was an outgoing kid who until two weeks ago was participating in our church," her father said. "She loved her little boy so much that while she was in pain she participated in athletic events."
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah grew up in the Pulaski Park neighborhood and graduated from Good Counsel High School in 1978. She was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines for 22 years before departing to care for her son, Robert, full time.
She met her husband, Robert McDarrah, through his sister and were friends before the relationship turned romantic.
"One of her passions was that every holiday, the class- room for her son, each kid got candy trinkets," McDarrah said. "She loved putting on a party. She would not miss a detail. As she put it, 'Lets go make some memories.' "
Took pain 'gracefully'
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah had a kidney transplant in the 1980s and began to suffer from problems in 2005. As her ankles began to swell, making physical ventures more difficult, she didn't let it prohibit her from doing what she loved.
She took 8-year-old Robert skiing in Utah and then drove to Florida.
"She took more [pain] than anybody I could imagine could take," McDarrah said. "She took it gracefully. We did a rafting trip in August."
For the last three Christmas holidays she organized a breakfast with Santa for the children at St. Mary of the Woods School in Chicago.
Mrs. Rosten-McDarrah was described by friends and family as a person who lived for her son and made sure he was able to experience everything she did as a child. She loved children so much she grew her hair out to make wigs for kids with cancer.
"Kids were her passion," her husband said. "When we got Robert, it was just the icing on the cake. She grew up in a very political family and was not really fazed by the hoopla."
In addition to her son, husband and father, Mrs. RostenMcDarrah is survived by her sisters Dawn, Kristie and Gayle Rosten and her mother, LaVerne Rostenkowski.
Visitation is at 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary of the Woods Church. Funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday, with burial to follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery.
Family Members
Parents
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
