Eleanor Rosenow
October 30, 1932 - March 30, 2018
Eleanor Rosenow, the beloved wife of the late Gene Rosenow, has entered eternity. Eleanor Fornin Rosenow was born on October 30, 1932 in Long Branch, New Jersey and died on March 30, 2018 in Neptune, New Jersey. Eleanor has been a fixture on the New Jersey music scene for as long as most of us can remember. She worked the gift shop at Albert Hall and the door at BOTMA and accompanied her late husband Gene to all of the festivals and just about every show he played.
Visitation Tuesday, April 3, 2018 from 4-7pm at the Hoffman Funeral Home, 415 Broadway, Long Branch.
Mass of Christian Burial, 10:30 am Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at St. Jerome's R.C. Church, Wall St. West Long Branch.
Interment at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, West Long Branch.
Eleanor Fornin Rosenow, 85, of West Long Branch passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family on Friday, March 30, 2018 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune. Born in Long Branch on October 30, 1932 Eleanor has been a lifelong resident of the shore area. She was a devoted parishioner of St. Jerome’s R.C. Church, West Long Branch.
She retired after working many years as an administrative assistant at Fort Monmouth. Eleanor has been a fixture on the New Jersey music scene for as long as most can remember. She worked the gift shop at Albert Hall and the door at Blue Grass Old Time Music Association, ( BOTMA). Eleanor accompanied her late husband Gene to all of the festivals and just about every show he played. Her retirement years were also spent traveling with her late husband Gene in their RV.
She was predeceased by her loving husband of 65 years Philip “Gene” Rosenow in November of 2017, her parents Frank and Ellen Fornin as well as her brothers Frank Fornin and George Fornin. Surviving are her sons, Philip Rosenow (Kathleen), Michael Rosenow (Barbara) and a daughter Carol Pell (David), sisters Margaret Hemberger and Joan Fornin, 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers donations to BOTMA, C/O John Felsmann, 124 Church St., Fair Haven, NJ 07704 in Eleanor’s memory would be greatly appreciated.
Visitation will be at the Hoffman Funeral Home, 415 Broadway, Long Branch on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 from 4-7pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 am Wednesday at St. Jerome’s R.C. Church, 254 Wall St., West Long Branch, NJ. Interment will follow in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, West Long Branch. ,
I’d like to say a few words about my friend Eleanor. I met her through her husband Gene, my singing partner for several years. I’ll always remember when we would start a set I could always find Eleanor down in the front row watching. She was always there for her husband. One time on the BOTMA stage we started to do a song and Gene was playing it really slow. I stopped and looked at it him and asked if he wanted to start again. He laughed and said yes. We started again, the same thing. Eleanor came running from the back of the hall and said to me “There’s something wrong with him!” I asked Gene if he was OK, he said yes, we started again, same thing. I looked at the other band members and called out a song he wasn’t singing on and she came running up again, this time with a glucose tablet and a Coke. He was having some problems with his diabetes. She knew it, he didn’t. We’ve all talked about how Gene took care of Eleanor. He certainly did but Eleanor took care of Gene as well. When a wife knows that her husband isn’t well when he doesn’t you can rest assured they had a bond that was deep. In the years I knew her she was always lovely and even took the time to feed me now and again. I'll miss the time we spent at the festivals. Gene and I used to sing the song Roseville Fair many years ago. It was beautiful. That one was for you Ellie.
Mike Edgerton
