Prominent journalists who worked with Rose Allegato shared memories of the dynamo reporter and editor in Bill Rufty’s touching obituary this week.
A lot more stories have been shared since then, and I understand more will be in The Ledger tomorrow. One of the most succinct and accurate descriptions of Rose came from Mary Loftus in a Facebook comment: “She was a fireball!”
This morning, Rose’s nephew Frank Pennachio delivered a warm, funny, loving and thoroughly honest tribute to his aunt during a funeral mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Just before he ended, he listed lessons from Rose’s life:
“We shouldn’t let bigots and sexists and the way things have always been get in our way.
If we want to do something, let’s do it but do the hard work. Go to the small market and get good at it. Nobody owes you a big-market gig…
Believe in something and stick to it.
Have the gumption to demand the best of ourselves and our leaders.
Speak truth to power.
Tell and write stories.
And, most of all, be nice to idiots.”
This photo from Rose’s reporting days was displayed beside the altar at this morning’s funeral mass.
Pennachio closed his eulogy by singing the Groucho Marx song “Show Me a Rose,” which includes the lines, “Show me a Rose and I’ll show you a girl who cares” and “I called her Rose-a-mia, and she called a spade a spade.” Sounds like our Rose, right?
Here’s Groucho singing it on The Dick Cavett Show:
I'm a digital journalist and recovering newspaper guy who lives in Lakeland, Fla.
My Aunt was a “fireball” and a great gift to our family. I try to follow her lead and live the best life I can every day. She set a high bar for a life well lived!
My sister Rose is right – Babe as we called her was a fireball. She was a great role model for me and many others. And she was a very caring soul.
She was more than a mentor. she was my friend.