Rose Mary Snell
Daughter of the late Steven F. and Irene B. (Lenart) Trubicza, wife of Dudley E. (63 years), mother of Jeffrey (Dr. Jennifer A. Kale), grandmother of Logan S. Snell, sister of Betty A. Santin (George), Frank S. Trubicza (Linda), Irene M. Peters (Jack), Barbara T. Ginos (Alan), and the late Stephen; treasured aunt of Stacey L. Wasinski (Frank), Janice M. Kostal (Kenneth), Julie L. Reed, Eric F. Trubicza (Tammy), Jack D. Peters (Sara), and Dennis A. Peters (Christy) and great aunt to many; dear sister-in-law of Kathleen S. Oltmanns.
Born in 1938, Rose Mary spent her entire life in Sagamore Hills Township, a place she deeply loved. As children, she and her siblings worked hard on a fifty acre, third-generation family farm. In 1993, following in the footsteps of her brother-in-law Jack and his Uncle Oliver, Rose Mary became the first female Township Trustee, a position she would hold for the next twenty years. In her first campaign she knocked on every door, winning handily.
In 1999, Rose Mary led the charge to preserve nearly 450 acres of greenspace within the Township, organizing a creative partnership between the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cleveland Metroparks, and the Trust For Public Land. Inspired by this success, she spent years tenaciously writing grants, negotiating, and ultimately building a Township Park on what started as a mere five acres of land. When others could not understand why the Township needed such a space, she kept pushing—even convincing her Husband and Son to spend a summer constructing the first baseball field. Today, Sagamore Hills Park is a fifty-three acre community treasure of trails, pavilions, athletic fields and playgrounds.
Able to solve any problem with her unsurpassed energy and homemade bakery, Rose Mary loved working alongside her fellow Trustees. Residents knew if you called, she would not stop until your problem—big or small—was solved. And if she asked you to do something, you better get it done. Her meticulous organization and follow-up emerged from many years of working in real estate, handling the details of closings. As an officer of the Township Association of Summit County, she served on many County committees—becoming a trusted advocate for communities beyond her own. State, County, and local candidates knew her as a resource for sign locations and literature drops. Late on each election night, Rose Mary and her longtime accomplice Trustee Paul Schweikert began a quiet tradition of collecting all campaign signs and bringing them to her house to be picked up or recycled. The day after any election their town was always back to its natural beauty.
While honored by many, Rose Mary was most proud of receiving the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the Cuyahoga Valley Regional Council of Governments for her Outstanding Public Service in 2007—a recognition of both her personal journey with the National Park (from resident activist to ardent supporter), as well as the relationship she fostered between the Park and surrounding communities.
Rose Mary loved her family and friends, always remembering birthdays with homemade cakes and treats. Generous of her time with others, she always found time to nurture her many flower gardens. A private family service was held at Northfield-Macedonia Cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to the Sagamore Hills Township Park, 11551 Valley View Road, Sagamore Hills, OH 44067.
