Rosemary Copp

Rosemary Copp, 82, of Peoria passed away peacefully at 1:19am Thursday, June 26, 2014 at her residence with her children by her side. She was born August 23, 1931 in Springfield, IL to the late John and Apollona Rutter Copp, Surviving are her three children, Anne Pellicciotto of Washington, DC, Jane Pellicciotto of Portland, OR and Nick Pellicciotto of Austin, TX. Also surviving are four sisters Marilyn, Janet, Alice, and Marge. One sister, Millie and one brother, John preceded her in death. Rosemary had a vivacious life. In 1954, Rosemary earned a Bachelor's degree of Science in Biochemistry from Saint Louis University. She married her chemistry TA, Angelo Pellicciotto, in 1957, and together they moved to Washington, DC to pursue careers and raise a family. Rosemary, a working mom, held lab positions at the VA Hospital and later at NIH in the Allergy and Infectious disease department. In 1985 she moved to Peoria to take a job with Abbot Labs. She made President's Club in 1997 and was awarded a trip to Ireland. Rosemary retired in 2003 but remained engaged in politics, traveling to Washington for war protests with the Pink Ladies. She mentored an immigrant Iraqi family and volunteered at Global Village. She traveled to Spain and Portugal with her sister, around the country visiting family, and in 2011 to Mexico to visit daughter Anne in the Peace Corps. Rosemary was a voracious reader, a great listener, a kind sister and friend, and loving and generous mother. She will be missed by all. Cremation rites have been accorded and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2014, with a time and place to be announced. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in her name to Global Village Peoria or to Unity Point/Methodist Hospice. Affordable Funeral & Cremation Services of Central Illinois is assisting with arrangements and notes of condolences may be sent using www.peoriafuneral.com.