Rose Marie Macaluso Barras, formerly of New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away on September 11, 2017 in Peachtree City, Georgia.
She was the daughter of the late Salvador and Rose Marie (Monteleone) Macaluso. She graduated from Dominican High School and earned a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Loyola University in New Orleans. She taught in the Catholic school system for over 20 years in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Madison, Wisconsin, Alexandria, Louisiana, and Arlington, Virginia. She later served as a school librarian at St. Scholastica Academy in Covington, Louisiana.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Stanley John Barras. She and Stan had a wonderful life together. They loved to travel and explored much of the world, from long road trips across America with numerous family members to adventures throughout much of Europe, the Far East, the Caribbean, and Australia. After the loss of Stan, she found love, enjoyment, and companionship again with her fiancé Ronald Abadie, originally from Plaquemine, Louisiana, and his family.
She is survived by her daughter Robyn (Mike) Norman, granddaughters, twins Olivia and Camille Norman of Peachtree City; brother Anthony (Sylvia) Macaluso; sister Barbara (Joseph) Gildner; cousins Anthony (Nancy) Macaluso IV, Carmalie Thorpe, Rosary Palermo and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
Rose approached life with high energy and enthusiasm. She had a voracious appetite for reading and joined many book clubs in all of the cities in which she lived. Her warm and welcoming personality showed itself in her many social activities in the Newcomers Club of New Orleans and she was later crowned Queen of the Krewe of Neophermenos. She enjoyed playing bridge with her friends and volunteering for her chapter of P.E.O. in Peachtree City. Perhaps most of all, she enjoyed the company of her family and was especially appreciated for cooking traditional Louisiana fare from red beans and rice to pork and macaroni for large family gatherings. Her pride and joy were her twin granddaughters Livvy and Camille, whom she adored.
A Funeral Mass was held at the Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 18, 2017. A celebration of life will be held in Peachtree City at a date and location to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made through Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O. international) to Cottey College, 1000 West Austin Boulevard, Nevada, Mo. 64772-2790 (https://donations.peointernational.org), St. Vincent DePaul Society, or a charity that supports children’s literacy such as Reading Is Fundamental (rif.org) in her honor.
