Rosemary Tomicic Kamhout

Rosemary Tomicic Kamhout (1934-2021) Obituary

Rosemary Tomicic Kamhout, 86, passed away April 14, 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan surrounded by her family after a brief but severe illness.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her husband Carl Richard Kamhout, her brother-in-law David Gannon and her parents, Walter E. Tomicic and Beatrice M. Tomicic. She is survived by her sister Penny Gannon, her five children Katherine Beckemeier (Michael), Elizabeth Shannon (Gerard), Peter Kamhout MD (Terri Zomerlei MD), Paul Kamhout (Melissa) , and Mark Kamhout (Peggy ) as well as 11 grandchildren.

Rosemary was a graduate of the University of Michigan where she achieved a BA in Education.   It was there that she met her future husband, Carl Kamhout. Rosemary taught primary education in California for several years before returning to Michigan to marry Carl. After their marriage, they lived in Grosse Pointe, Michigan for many years before relocating their family to Barrington, Illinois where they lived for the next 50 years.  Her life was defined by her love of family, friends and faith.  

Rosemary was a devoted mother and grandmother and regarded this role as her life calling. She was truly gifted in this role and managed to raise her five children into fairly responsible adults through wisdom, gentle discipline, and an abundance of love. She was also a dedicated daughter to her mother, Beatrice, and cared for her in her twilight years. As her children grew and started families of their own, Rosemary directed her attention to assisting in the care of her grandchildren who affectionately called her “Nunny”.

Rosemary carried on her mother’s tradition of home-cooked Croatian meals and made every holiday an event to remember. Many times her children have tried, with little success, to recapture the culinary magic that came from Rosemary’s kitchen. 

Rosemary was a devoted fan of the Chicago Cubs. As such she may be regarded, as are many, as ‘long-suffering’ but that mantle was joyfully discarded when they miraculously won the World Series in 2016. It has been suspected, but never proven, that Rosemary’s fervent prayers to St. Jude during the rain delay of Game 7 pushed the game into extra innings and subsequent Cubs’ victory.

She will be remembered for her devout Catholic faith, her loving and kind spirit, her love of country, and gentle sense of humor. She would often laugh at the absurdities of life and this gave her peace when presented with hardships.  Her passing, with her children surrounding her, was the end of a life spent in the service of Jesus Christ and her family.

A private funeral service is planned for her immediate family. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to Rosemary’s favorite charity, Wounded Warrior Project https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org

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