How Rose Marie Brocato became forever known as "Palsie".
Rose Marie Brocato was born in Baltimore, MD in 1900 and lived until 1998, just shy of 99 years old. She was the Matriarch of our large, loving, and gregarious Italian family. She had 5 children and 37 great-grandchildren.
After World War II, her eldest daughter Saraphina and her first grandchild Rosemary, came to live with her after the loss of Grandfather Brocato to illness and Saraphina's husband to the war in Europe.
Grandmother Brocato started to look after Rosemary, "little Roe", as Saraphina headed out to the workforce to support her family.
Grandmother Brocato did everything with little Roe. She cooked, folded clothes, and shopped with her. Most importantly, she played with little Roe and told her stories. All of that love, affection, and playtime did not go unnoticed by this precocious child.
Little Roe said to Grandmother Brocato, "You do everything with me, we are pals. You are my Palsie."
From that day forward, somewhere in a brick row house in Baltimore, most likely in the kitchen cooking her gourmet Italian foods and treats, Rose Marie Brocato was henceforth known to all her family and friends as Palsie.
As for our Italian family, this name is iconic. It was more than just a nickname, but rather a title, an expression of love, that was innocently and wisely conferred upon her by a little child telling her what she meant to us all. She was our Palsie.
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