Rosemary Polasek Gillespie

Rosemary Polasek Gillespie, a resident of Mt. Olympus Rehabilitation Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2020. Rosemary was born in Salt Lake on February 24, 1947. She was adopted a year later by Dorothy and Patrick Polasek, and grew up in Salt Lake with the Polaseks and their daughter, Katherine May. Katherine May Polasek married Franklin Dewey Robinson, Jr. in 1951. They had five children, one daughter and four sons. Rosemary was close enough in age to grow up with her niece and nephews as if they were siblings. Rosemary attended Utah State Training School in American Fork. She married Dave Gillespie on September 29, 1977. They had an adventurous life of foot and bus travel in and around Salt Lake and enjoyed a trek to Wyoming shortly after getting married to feel and breathe some independence. Rosemary and Dave traversed the city of Salt Lake no matter the weather, making friends wherever they went. Rosemary enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the big Robinson family and all that came with a big family - the dinners, holiday gatherings, celebrations for this and that, and raucous barbecues. In her later years, Rosemary enjoyed coloring, watching cowboy movies and going to the Senior Center to interact with others and to play games.

Rosemary’s husband Dave and her nephew Steven predeceased her. She leaves behind her sister, Katherine, her niece, Kristynia Robinson, her nephews Frank, Patrick and Jeffery Robinson, and many great and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Rosemary will be remembered for her adventurous nature, her enjoyment of the little things in life that make life worth living, her smile and her joking way, especially with her sibling-like niece and nephews. A funeral service will be held for Rosemary on Thursday, October 22nd at 11 am. The gravesite service is located at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 275 U Street, Salt Lake, Utah. Following the service, Katherine welcomes you to enjoy lunch and remember Rosemary at her home.