Obituary of Connie Romanowsky

Connie Romanowsky passed peacefully surrounded by her family on January 26, 2022.  Her departure was beautiful and memorable.  After surrounding her with family and prayer, her soul took flight and danced into Heaven.  We are certain St. Peter opened the heavenly gates and she was welcomed by her husband and previously departed family.  

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 2nd at 1 o'clock in the afternoon at St. Mary's RC Church, Denville. If the weather permits, we will walk to church and slow down the world for just a few moments...

Connie's Mass will be livestreamed for those unable to be with us.  This link for St. Mary's Church will be active ten minutes before 1 o'clock. 

Visiting hours will begin that morning from 9:30 am to 12 noon at the Norman Dean Home For Services.  Donations in Connie's name may be made to the good work of Gift of Life, NJ.  

She was born in San Antonio, TX on October 18, 1941 to the late Roman and Concepcion (nee Velasquez) Rivas.  She was one of seven children to bless the family. As a young teenager she headed to NJ to live with her older sister Fina.  

She attended Hanover Park school and met Michael Romanowsky while on a date with his friend.  You can guess how that ended.  They married in 1963 on a beautiful spring day and soon after started a family of their own.  Along came Brian, JoAnn and then John to complete their family. They lived in East Hanover and Connie worked as a nurse.  She was compassionate, loving, kind and beautiful.   

Connie worked hard with Mike to give the kids all they needed.  Summers were spent in Canada fishing with the family, or in TX.  They would all pile into the family station wagon and take the long drive to San Antonio to visit with the Rivas family.  Their visits were a celebration of great Mexican food, family fun, and Mariachi music.  

As her children grew, Connie was blessed with wonderful daughters in law and son in law, and then of course, the best gifts- her grandchildren.  She was lovingly called “Nana”  – her proudest title and role.    The sun rose and set on the kids.   She and Big Mike never missed a chance to be with them- whether at a dance recital, softball game or scouting event.  She bragged of those little ones and loved having her home filled with little feet and family.  

She was an extraordinary cook and talented baker.  No one went hungry at Connie's table.  She loved trips to the casino and every day fishing was a “good” day, regardless if she caught anything.  

Connie was blessed to move into St. Francis in Denville some years back.  She immediately became the "in house" baker, seamstress, tour guide, general store saleswoman, and bingo caller.  She was a regular at her local Goodwill, Dollar Store, Kohls, Outback and the diner.  She loved the new friendships she made.  She would take her grandchildren downstairs to the movie theatre and the game room.  

A devout Catholic, she especially loved her time in the Chapel at St. Francis.  She attended Mass daily and assisted the Sisters, Fr. John & Fr. Jim with anything they might need.  To Connie, that meant making meals, cookies and cakes.  Lots of cookies and cakes.  When she traveled to Jo-Ann’s house in Florida each year, the residents of St. Francis would all lose 5 lbs. due to her absence.

In May of last year, Connie moved to Cooks Pond senior housing in Denville to live on the same floor as her best friend since High School, Connie.  The two of them could not be more thrilled.

Connie loved to dance. She was fortunate to attend two of her granddaughters’ weddings and danced all night.  If you were seated close by, you were her partner.  She loved a good meal and a tall Tequila sunrise or a Manhattan.  She was always an amazing hostess and if she should be the guest, she would arrive with an entire meal packed up tightly in tupperware and Mexican clay pots.  She was the person working the sink, cleaning the counters, serving…..always serving……

Connie was honest, direct and sometimes stubborn.  More so, she was beautiful, caring and helpful to a fault.  Her smile was warm and inviting and she could light any room.  She was youthful, fun and devious and her spirit will never leave us.  

She leaves amazing memories to her devoted children Brian (Becky), JoAnn Kolosiej (Gene) and John (Elena Conte); her adored grandchildren Amanda Tiedeken(Patrick), John Ilaria, Monica Ilaria (Paul Koerner), Nicole Bellibas (Emre), Angela and Jackson Romanowsky; her  cherished great grandson Everett Michael Tiedeken; dear brother Jose Rivas (Janie) and many more beloved family and friends.

Her husband Michael and her siblings Josephine, Guadalupe, Maria Luisa, Roman and Carmelo passed previously.