Rosemarie Farr DePhillips, of Old Tappan, died January 24, 2026, just 4 days shy of her 91st birthday. She was the older of 2 children of her parents, Paul and Elizabeth (Wehner) Farr, and grew up in Astoria, Queens. Her mother, Elizabeth, was born in Germany, and her father, Paul, was born in Malta. Her younger brother, Robert, is 7 years her junior. Her dear friend from 6th grade, Jean Lehne Roche, was more than a friend. They were as close as sisters and remained connected their entire lives.
Rosemarie was always an excellent student growing up, and she later graduated from New York University, with a degree in business. After graduation, she worked in various roles at New York University. She married the love of her life, Fred DePhillips, in 1958, and they resided first in Edgewater and then bought their first house in Northvale. They lived in Northvale from 1960 through 1968 and had their 3 children there—Susan in 1961, Christopher in 1965, and Stephen in 1966. In Northvale, they became active in St. Anthony’s Church and School.
In 1968, Rosemarie and Fred moved the family to Old Tappan. Regardless, Rosemarie and Fred remained active in St. Anthony Church and School, and throughout the 1970’s, their friendships with the Edwards, Loh, Paolillo, Simons, Amend, McGurn, Kennedy, Cooke and Moran families continued to grow. Throughout the 1970s, these same families furthered their bonds through their memberships at the Idlewild Swim Club in Old Tappan. Rosemarie and Fred’s children, and the children of the other families, spent years growing up together at this swim club. The ties these families formed then continue to this day.
Life in Old Tappan in the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s was fast-paced and fun for Rosemarie and family. Rosemarie supported her children’s extracurricular and sporting activities as they grew, and she returned to the workplace in 1980 as her daughter, Susan, was in college, and her boys, Christopher and Stephen, were now in high school. Once all the kids were in college, Rosemarie and Fred enjoyed many trips far and wide, and life was good.
In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Rosemarie and Fred’s children married, and their first grandchild was born in 1990. Between 1990 and 2002, 8 of their 9 grandchildren were born, and Rosemarie and Fred were fully devoted grandparents. Unfortunately, Fred was diagnosed with leukemia in 1998 and he struggled with the disease for 6 years. Rosemarie lovingly cared for Fred during that difficult time. Despite Fred’s illness, Rosemarie and Fred continued to travel and made the most of their remaining time together. They had a magnificent 46 years of marriage together between 1958 and 2004, when Fred passed.
After Fred died, Rosemarie continued to be active in her church, library and other organizations and continued to contribute to her community in so many ways. Her 9th grandchild was born in 2008. For the next 18 years, Rosemarie continued to amaze her children and grandchildren with her travels, wisdom, vitality, faith, board positions, and her devotion to the causes she cared about. For the first time that anyone could remember, Rosemarie suffered a medical emergency at age 89 in April 2024 which changed her life, slowed her down and caused many challenges. She suffered another medical emergency in December 2025 from which she never recovered, and she passed peacefully on the evening of January 24, 2026.
Rosemarie was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Elizabeth, in 1979 and 1994, respectively. As noted, she was pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Fred, in 2004. She is survived by her brother, Robert, who resides with his family in Phoenix.
Rosemarie is survived by her 3 beloved children: Susan (Antonio), Christopher (Patricia), and Stephen. She is survived by 9 cherished grandchildren: Christina (Max), Elise (Andrew), Amanda, Timothy, Ryan, Anna, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Zoe. Finally, she is survived by 5 adorable great-grandchildren: Leo, Ember, Zelia, Ivy, and Elinor.
A wake will be held on Friday, January 30, from 2 pm – 7 pm, at the Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, in Northvale. A funeral mass will be held at the St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, 268 Old Tappan Road, Old Tappan, on Saturday, January 31, at 10 a.m. Rosemarie will be buried beside her husband, Fred, at the Rockland Cemetery in Sparkill, New York. The burial service is private.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. To donate online: https://ccannj.org/donate-online/ To donate by phone: call 973-639-6531
www.pizzifuneralhome.com
I am sorry for your loss. I will pray for all..
Warm regards mary.
With deepest condolences to the DePhillips family.
May your Mom Rest in Peace
I only knew Rosemary for twenty years. Wow what a warm lovely dynamic person. We met as members of the Board of Vanytage Health systems. I now find out it was only one of many important initiatives she gave her heart and soul to. First and foremonst her husband Fred, second her children and grandchildren. Third her community and those she loved. What an example she was. I will miss her. A wise and special lady whom we all should emulate. RIP.
My condolences to you and your family. May your mother’s memory bring you peace and may God grant her paradise. I hope the Lord gives you and your family patience and comfort during this difficult time.
Sending my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mrs. DePhillips. Such a sweet woman to have known. I will always remember her beautiful smile and warm hug whenever we saw each other. May treasured memories bring peace and comfort to you all during this difficult time.
I am honored to have met and worked with Rosemarie at the library. She was a bright light. May her memory be a blessing.
Your mom sounds like a great person who had a full and fulfilling life. I’m sure she was a gift to all. May she rest in peace.
Dear Susan, Christopher & Stephen,
We are so saddened to hear of your mom’s passing. She was a good & true friend of our family over many years at St. Anthony’s Parish. Our parents, John & Ann spent many occasions with her & Fred in Northvale, the Weston Priory in Vermont and in Sarasota, Fl. She was an inspiration to us all and she will be missed. May she rest in peace. Love, The Quinn Family
Fred and Ro were dear friends to Paul and me when we lived in Northvale but left to live in Summerville SC near our daughter and her family I where Andrew and his Dad opened a printing business. They have thrived as a family and have lost dear Paul during that time. Marianne resides in an assisted living community and is pretty healthy for 94 years. Paul is missed so much. Paul and I had a wonderful vacation in London with Ro and Fred. They were such good friends.
Mrs. DePhillips and her late husband were so fun to be around. She was generous in her support of me in my vocation and of our Salesian Sisters.
I was sorry to hear of Mrs. DePhillips’ passing. She was a wonderful lady.
Rest in Peace.
I am so sorry for your loss. I loved your mom, and was always so impressed when she knew my name – ours was a large family, yet she never misidentified me. It was impressive. All my memories of her as well as your dad involved smiles and so much laughter.
The world lost a good one when we lost her. I pray that soon you remember her with more smiles than sadness.
Dear Susan, Christopher & Stephen
Your Mom was always so kind to our family, she always would give me a big hug when I would run into her on one of my trips home. I am sure she will rest in peace with your Dad.
My deepest sympathy to your family, whom she spoke of often. Your mom glowed when she spoke about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was always proud to share photos. I knew Rosemarie through the library and we had many conversations about which books we liked. Your mom always asked me for recommendations, which she thankfully liked. After years of knowing your mom and her weekly visits to the library, I asked her if she was interested in joining our library board. Oh my, she was so proud of her role as our president! She brought your dad’s gavel to every meeting and gave it 3 taps to close every meeting. Rosemarie will be deeply missed by me. She was quite remarkable.
I remember your mother vividly from my first visit to the US in 1987. Her kindness, human warmth and hospitality felt good and were very reassuring for me, an 18-year old kid from Germany; I recall feeling immediately familiar around all of you but especially around her, and we were immediately able to connect through stories related to Magda and Elisabeth.
Coping with the loss of a parent is probably always an incredibly painful experience. I wish you all strength and hope that you can stand together as a family during this difficult time and gather around the memory of your mother Rosemarie.
Dear DePhillips Family,
My parents, Anthony and Kathleen Rosenkranz knew your parents very well through St. Anthony’s Church and School. My parents have since passed away some years ago. I remember your lovely Mom coming to mass and looking so dignified in her beautiful clothes. I knew Susan from my Holy Angels bus. May Our Lord always keep a watchful eye on you all. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your Mom.