Obituary of Rosemarie Styles

Long-time Capitola resident Rosemarie Styles passed away on August 3, 2016. A native of Germany and proud American citizen, Rosemarie grew up in a 14th century cloister on an island in the Rhine River, where her father was headmaster of the island's school. As a child and young woman she experienced hyperinflation, the turmoil and dislocation of WWII, hardship and privation in its aftermath. In the post-war years she worked at a US Army PX, where she spoke briefly with General Dwight Eisenhower and eventually met Sidney, a widower, career US Army officer, and third-generation Capitola resident. They became inseparable and were married in early 1956. Her first taste of life in America came just two years later, when they with their infant son were transferred to Colorado Springs, and later to the San Francisco Bay Area. For the rest of her life she believed that America was the best country on Earth. After another rotation in Germany, Sidney retired from the Army in 1963 and the family moved into their newly built house on Depot Hill in Capitola, Rosemarie's home until she moved into long-term care at Pacific Coast Manor in 2014. Rosemarie was self-taught in English and never lost her accent, but she also never missed a chance to expand her vocabulary through reading and crossword puzzles. She was a great talker and story-teller, informed and outspoken. She loved to garden and relished following current events and politics. She happily conversed with anyone, whether neighbors or complete strangers, with genuine interest. At different times she was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Capitola (later Aptos) and Calvary Episcopal Church of Santa Cruz. She was also a volunteer at the Capitola Museum. In the years after Sidney's death she recovered from her own scare with cancer but not from his loss. She took great joy in her son's career and later in her wonderful daughter-in-law and cherished granddaughter, while devoting every day to the memory of her beloved Sidney. She was sharp into her 90s, until she developed rapid-onset Alzheimer's disease. Rosemarie was predeceased by her husband and three sisters. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Geoffrey and Pamela Styles of Vienna, Virginia and her granddaughter, Lillian Styles, also of Vienna, as well as one niece and three nephews in Germany. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, August 11 at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Aptos. In lieu of flowers, Rosemarie's family would appreciate donations to the Alzheimer's Association of America (http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp).