Rose Didion

Rose Didion was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. A caring nurturer, she cherished her years as a mother and was delighted with the arrival of her grandchildren. She leaves behind a rich legacy of accepting all people with compassion. Her warm personality, genuine friendship, and loving ways will be deeply cherished by all who knew and loved her.

The 1930s were significantly impacted by the effects of the Great Depression. Joseph and Josephine (Lassa) Koprowski welcomed home the arrival of their tenth child, Rose M., on May 29th in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Later joined by a younger sibling, Rose’s birth brought much joy and happiness to her family during tough times.

Growing up on the west side, Rose lived a typical childhood of the times. Her father worked as a cabinet maker and her mother was a homemaker. Raised with a strong Polish Catholic faith, they lived at 860 2nd Street and attended St. Adalbert Church. Rose also attended St. Adalbert School. As a teen, she worked concessions at the local Royal Theater on Leonard Street. Without fail, her brother, Jimmy would pick her up after work on his bike where she would ride the handlebars! The two of them were exceptionally close.

Sadly, Rose lost her father at the tender age of sixteen and her mother followed only two years later. She then went to live with her sister, Gertrude and graduated with the Class of 1950 from Catholic Central High School. With a strong desire to enter the professional workforce, Rose set off to attend a comptometer school. Ambitious as well as successful, she landed a job at the A&P warehouse where she worked as an office clerk. Social by nature, she used her free time to take road trips with girlfriends and played on a regular bowling league in town.

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of Robert Didion. Introduced by mutual friends, their first date was on St. Patrick's Day in 1958. They double-dated at Par 4, a local pub, and over a toast of drinks they hit it off from the start! Sharing many commonalities and special interests, they went on to date for eighteen months before joining in marriage on October 10, 1959, at St Adalbert Church. They held their reception at the 5th Street Hall. After a week-long honeymoon out west in Colorado, the couple settled in an upstairs apartment at the corner of Veto and Straight streets. They wasted no time in starting a family of their own and together raised four wonderful children; Alan, Mary, Christopher, and Cheryl.

Rose was an exceptional wife and mother. With Bob working at General Motors as a tool and die maker, she woke early every morning to prepare his lunch and share breakfast together before he left at six o’clock! She then would shift to preparing breakfast and packing her childrens’ school lunches for their departure at seven! She relished in her years as a stay-at-home mom. By 1964, the family relocated to their family home on Newberg Street. Rose had a real knack for cooking and served up hot and delicious meals each evening for dinner. The family savored her homemade pot roasts, Swiss steak, and many of her traditional Polish dishes. She made sure they never went hungry!

Devoted to her family, she was equally devoted to her faith life and never missed Mass and attended confession regularly. When she had more free time, she served on the finance committee and other ministries within her home church. It was very important to both her and Bob that their children grew up with a Catholic education. They made great sacrifices in order to ensure this would happen. Each and every summer, however, they enjoyed taking special family trips together. They loved to visit the amusement parks including; Cedar Point, King’s Island, Great America, and Disneyland in California when they had once traveled there by train to visit relatives. By the time the children were old enough to attend high school, Rose re-entered the workforce as an office clerk at the popular Herpolsheimer's department store. She loved the many wonderful friendships she made during those years as well as the extra income to support the families’ growing needs.

Bob’s retirement in 1992 afforded them many wonderful opportunities to travel. They enjoyed many memorable trips out west to visit family, as well as many national parks and popular canyons. Both Rose and Bob also had a flair for casinos. They especially enjoyed spending hours playing video poker. Some of these outings included trips across the bridge to play at the casino in Sault Ste. Marie. When it came time for relaxation, Rose enjoyed knitting, and reading books by her favorite author, Stephen King.

Above all else, however, Rose was most content any time she was surrounded by her loved ones. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren often sneaking them pieces of candy and sharing laughter with one another. Nothing brought her greater joy than sharing in their many successes over the years. She loved to have everyone over for large Sunday gatherings including a special meal! A loving, generous, and gentle soul, Rose leaves behind a great legacy of loving unconditionally. She modeled a lifetime of sharing her Christian values and treating everyone with grace and kindness. May the memories she shared stay forever in the hearts of her loved ones and may they find great comfort in knowing they were loved beyond measure.

Rose M. (Koprowski) Didion, age 88, of Grand Rapids, passed away on April 3, 2020. Rose was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Josephine Koprowski, and nine of her siblings. Survivors include her beloved husband of 60 years, Robert. Her children; Alan (Alanna) of Carol Stream, IL, Mary (Jim) Danielski, Chris (Derrick McCullough), and Cheryl (Stan) Zurek; Her grandchildren; David, Ashley, Shannon Didion, Angela Danielski, Josie, Katie, and Abby Zurek. Her brother, Jim (Tere) Koprowski of Cerritos, CA; Her brother-in-law, Doug (Gerda) Didion; sisters-in-law, Alberta Koprowski and Mrs. Ron Didion, and many nieces and nephews. Rose was a graduate of Catholic Central High School, she retired from Herpolsheimers Department Store, and was a parishioner of Holy Spirit Parish for fifty-six years. She enjoyed many vacations to the western U.S., and in her later years, enjoyed Bingo, and traveling to casinos with her husband. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She truly lived for her family, and nothing made her happier than spending time with them. Visitation will be from 2-4 and 6-8 on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW, where the rosary will be prayed at 7:30 PM. Private family interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. The family would like to thank the staff at St. Ann’s Home, especially the staff of Joachims Place, for the wonderful care that Rose received. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Holy Spirit Educational Fund, or St. Ann’s Home, would be appreciated.