Rosemarie Asmus

Rosemarie Asmus was born on April 17, 1940 in Bad Kreuznach, Germany.  With two sisters and a brother, she was the youngest of four children.  She experienced the horrors of World War II firsthand with repeated bombings of her home and subsequent occupation in 1945 first by American and then French troops.. At the end of her high school years, she spent a year as a foreign exchange student in Tring, Herfordshire, England, followed by nurse's training in Bad Kreuznach and Offenbach, Germany.  During an exchange student reunion in Frankfurt she met her future husband, Hans Asmus, then stationed with the US Air Force at nearby Rhein Main Air Base.  They were married and had their first child, son Wolfgang. Subseqently reassigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada, where their daughter Angela was born.  In 1963 the Asmus family left active duty and moved to Everett, later Renton, Washington, where Rosemarie worked as a drafting technician for Pacific Car & Foundry.  In January 1968, her husband was recalled to active duty in the US Air Force, went to Vietnam and was subsequently assigned to numerous air bases in the United States and overseas.  During these years, in addition to raising her family and supporting countless military and international activities, Rosemarie completed both her bachelor's and master's degrees with distinction.  After 37 years of active military duty and 22 moves later, the Asmus family retired from active duty and moved to Port Orchard in 1991.  Here Rosemarie quickly made many new friends in the McChord AFB and Bangor chapel communities.  A long-time supporter of the Union Gospel Mission, she also joined the Jennie L. Miller Hospital Guild and her local Chapter HD of PEO. Following an unexpected acute cardiac arrest, Rosemarie went home to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ early Friday morning.  Her genuine love, caring and empathy, always combined with a cheerful attitude and a winning smile, will be greatly missed by all who knew her. A celebration of Rosemarie's life will be held at 3 pm, Wednesday, July 23 at St. Bede's Episcopal Church,  1578 SE Lider Road, Port Orchard.