Rose Possinger Pugliese, 97, passed away on Monday, August 19, 2024, at Belmont Village, Carol Stream, IL. Rose was born in the Southern Italian region of Puglia in Italy, in a city called Lecce on February 10, 1927.

She was one of six children of Vincenzo and Maria Attanazio, five girls and one boy, and lived among them and her extended family during the Second World War. But it was during that War that she met and fell in love with a young GI, Frank Possinger, stationed nearby her home. It was on May 5, 1945, 3 days before the war in Europe ended, that they were married in Lecce.   Soon Frank shipped back to the US and was discharged from the Army. In 1946, Rose followed Frank to Easton, Pennsylvania, where his family lived and where she lived for most of the remainder of her life. In 1947 she and Frank had their only child, also called Frank.

In America, she quickly learned to speak English by watching American movies, and speaking with the locals. Vivacious and fun-loving, she made friends easily, friends that would become her lifelong American family. Her life centered around her family, her friends, and her Church, St. Anthony of Padua in Easton, Pennsylvania. She always wanted to dress very well so she loved shopping both here and in Italy, cooking delicious Italian dinners, parties and traveling.

After her first husband, Frank, passed away in 1975, Rose remarried in 1978 to Nicholas Pugliese. She and Nick lived in Easton and through the years, traveled to many places including her beloved Italy and especially Lecce to be with her family. Nick passed away in 2004.

In 2018, she moved to Illinois, first Naperville and then Wheaton, to be close to her son, daughter in law and grandson and granddaughter-in-law and two great grandchildren.

She had a large life, well lived, but with her heart divided: loving America and the life she enjoyed here but still missing the life and family she left behind in Italy all those years ago.

She is preceded in death by her parents Vincenzo and Maria Attanasio, Frank J Possinger, her first husband, Nick Pugliese, her second husband, her sister Anna and her husband Antonio Giancana, her sisters Rita and Tina, brother-in-law Oronzino and a niece Tilda. She is also preceded by her step-sons Michael and Mark.

Survivors include her son Frank V Possinger and his wife Nancy, their son Paul and his wife Gwendolyn and two great grandchildren, Luke and Callie; step-sons, Jeffrey, Matt and his partner Cathy, Rick and his wife Layla; twelve step-grandchildren; her sister Diana; brother Pino and his wife Corrie; ten nieces and nephews and fifteen great nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may call on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Morello Funeral Home, Inc., 3720 Nicholas Street, Easton, PA. An additional calling hour will be held on Friday, August 30, 2024, from 8:15 AM until 9:15 AM at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Buial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on August 30, 2024 in St. Anthony of Padua Church; Ninth and Lehigh Streets, Easton, PA.  Burial will be at Northampton Memorial Shrine, 3051 Green Pond Road, Easton, PA.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her honor to Alzheimer's Association of IL, 2200 Cabot Drive, Suite 460, Lisle, IL 60532 https://www.alz.org/illinois.  Online condolences may be offered at www.morellofuneralhome.com.