The world is short a saint and a miracle lady in the passing of Rosemarie Boerger, better known to her friends and relatives as Rosi or the Silver Girl, due to her unique silver hair.

She managed to cheat death and the odds of survival from the time she was 16 years old. At 16, she had open heart surgery and her survival rate was 50% at best. Being a pioneer of open heart surgery and celebrity in the local press of Cleveland, Ohio, where she was born, was just the beginning of a dramatic health history which included severe scoliosis. That history made her into the strong and determined future executive which brought her success in all the endeavors she touched upon.

After marrying her husband, Ronald E. Tanski in 1965 and bearing two sons, Ron Jr. and Scott, Rosemarie moved to Hudson, Ohio, where she was instrumental in creating a much needed Emergency Service for the growing town of Hudson.

Getting donations from local business and populace, Rosemarie was able to procure an ambulance, a vacant house and volunteers to train as EMT's. The initial idea was founded in a small prayer group where Rosemarie said there was a need because the closest emergency room was at a hospital in the next town, and that her son Ron seemed to break a bone every summer.

The family moved to Denver, Colo., and after undergoing back surgery to correct her scoliosis where she suffered two cardiac arrests, Rosemarie recovered and in 1981 joined the Easter Seal Society.

As a National Regional Development Representative for Easter Seals, Rosemarie re-established and/or revitalized local relationships with national corporate sponsors and produced 22 hour live local and National Telethons.

In 1986, she was sent to Los Angeles to revitalize the local Burbank Chapter and shortly thereafter went through a divorce with her first husband. One year later, she met Don Boerger at a church gathering and a new relationship began to grow.

She was transferred to Houston, Texas, to help a struggling office and after one year, was again asked to transfer but this time she decided to move back to Los Angeles permanently to be with the love of her life, Don.

She became an independent contractor and consultant and worked for California Special Olympics, Grubb and Ellis Company and the Beeve Foundation for World Eye and Health.

Then in 1991, Rosemarie and Don got married and moved to Walnut, Calif., and from there built a loving and spiritual union that would last 35 years.

Rosemarie continued working in the non-profit industry and worked for American Heart Association of Los Angeles as executive director for seven years, and the executive director for Free Arts for Abused Children for four years.

In 2005 until 2009, Rosemarie worked as development director for The Frostig Center and then moved closer to home and worked for Maryvale, the oldest orphanage in L.A. founded in 1856 by the Daughters of Charity and now located in Rosemead, Calif., as vice president (2009-2013) where made her professional retirement. She had always wanted to work for a Catholic organization.

In 2016, Don and Rosemarie moved to their current address in Wickenburg Ranch.

All of Rosemarie's friends knew her to be a common sense person with a wonderful sense of humor. When asked by employers what her greatest asset was, the answer was always the same - her integrity, hard work, she'll never let you down. Her closest friends who knew her best, recognized how prayerfully she spent her life by offering all her suffering for others and to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Rosemarie is predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Mary Mazula; and her son, Scott of five weeks; and her oldest sister, Virginia Wall.

She is survived by four sisters, Mary Becker, Helen Brock, Josephine Cook, and Joanne Mondak; her son, Ron, and his wife, Catherine; their children, Noah and Samantha and Michael Boerger and wife, Antwanna; and their children, Mason, Nikira and Cannon.

Rosemarie's funeral mass will be at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Wickenburg on Sept. 19 at 10 a.m.