Rosalie Anelli Yerby

May 19, 1941 - January 17, 2020

With grace and courage, Rosalie Anelli Yerby, age 78, passed away at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She touched the life of so many with her infectious laugh, quick wit, love of art and devotion to her friends and family.

Rosie was born in San Francisco where she grew up on the family’s city block on Geneva and Mission with her cousins, aunts, uncles and maternal grandfather all around her. She attended Balboa High School where she made lifelong friendships. Her friends and family meant the world to her and were the backbone of her life..

After Balboa, she went on to San Francisco State University and then Stanford University. During her educational career she earned a bachelor’s degree and several masters degrees. Her career took her to Daly City where she taught at Jefferson School District for 40 years, first as a teacher in the classroom then most extensively as the art consultant for the school district. In addition to teaching, she was a beautiful calligrapher, creating works of art out of wedding invitations and also as a painter showing her work in open studios throughout San Francisco.

In 2004 she began her career as a grandmother. Retired from teaching, she threw herself into grandmothering and there was nowhere else she would rather be. She played with the hose, threw balloons, taught her grandchildren to grow sunflowers until they were taller than the house, painted their faces on request and famously created “ice cream pie” for birthday party celebrations.

Rosalie is survived by her devoted partner John Walsh, her daughter Marie Whitis, and her three grandchildren Will, Katie and Claire Whitis.

Please join us to celebrate the life of Rosalie Anelli Yerby at a Funeral Mass on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 1pm at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1310 Bayswater Ave., Burlingame, CA.