Obituary of Rosalie Hauswirth

Rosalie (DeMarco) Hauswirth of Amityville passed away April 28, 2021. She was 91 years old. Born on Ketcham Avenue in 1929, Rosalie was an Amityville resident all her life. She was a 1947 graduate of Amityville Memorial High School and a parishioner of St. Martin of Tours Church. Mrs. Hauswirth was predeceased by her parents, William and Rose DeMarco; and her siblings, Louis, Marie, and Jennie. Her parents owned and operated DeMarco's Tavern on John Street in Amityville. After graduating from Brockport College in 1951, Rosalie went on to teach physical education in Bethpage and Plainview Old-Bethpage school districts for over 30 years. She also owned and operated the Amityville General Store at the intersection of Park Avenue and Ireland Place. The old country store with an overhang roof was home to both her antique and quilting shops. Rosalie had a special affinity for Amityville's history. She was a longtime member of the Amityville Historical Society. Her work to preserve the village's past included maintaining Losi's Corner, one of the oldest downtown storefronts and the first building in the village to feature light bulbs and a sidewalk. She is also credited with saving the village's first firehouse, built in the 1890s, from demolition by having it moved to her property at personal expense. Surviving Mrs. Hauswirth is her husband Donald Hauswirth of Amityville; her daughter, Rosemary McMurray of Amityville; her son and daughter-in-law Joseph and Marianne Hauswirth of Amityville; her daughter and son-in-law Jacqueline and Lawrence Herzog of Amityville; and her three grandsons. Services were held at Powell Funeral Home in Amityville on May 1, 2021.