Funeral services have been set next week to honor the life of legendary San Antonio caterer Rosemary Kowalski, who died earlier this week following a short illness. She was 100.
A public visitation and a rosary will take place on Dec. 18th at San Fernando Cathedral.
A funeral Mass at the Tobin Center will begin at 2 p.m. on Dec. 19 and will be followed by a celebration of her life.
Kowalski worked with her husband, Hank, to build a West Side barbeque restaurant into an 800-person business that lasted three quarters of a century.
Kowalski's family explained in a statement that she died from a short illness. Her husband died in 1980.
Her business, RK Group, continues to thrive, though, now run by her son Greg Kowalski.
The RK Group's statement earlier this week explained that Kowalski was born on Sept. 27, 1924, and grew up on San Antonio's South Side. She met Hank, a pilot, during World War II. They married in 1944. After the war, they used his military pay to buy Uncle Ben's BBQ.
Greg Kowalski said in the statement that “Rosemary’s legacy is the gift of joy and kindness that she gave to the world. She extended that generous spirit to anyone she met.”
Praise for Kowalski filled social media this week.
"We all learned from her and were touched by her omnipresence in our community over the years," said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. "I am left with gratitude for her long life well lived, and the fact that while every community aspires to be known for its hospitality, only San Antonio had a Rosemary Kowalski to make it so."
Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller also praised her in an extensive statement on Facebook. He also included one memorable anecdote.
"She said her most amazing experience was being chosen to offer Pope John Paul II all of his meals when he visited San Antonio in 1987. On his final morning in San Antonio, instead of a big breakfast, all the Holy Father wanted was an apple. Rosemary found an apple, polished it, and handed it to him."
He added: "That encounter was the inspiration for the logo of RK Cares, the company’s philanthropy initiative, which has a hand serving an apple with a little halo over — a nod to Pope John Paul II and Rosemary."
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said in a statement on Wednesday that she was "a legendary figure whose immense contributions to both the business world and the community will never be forgotten. Ms. Rosemary, as she was often called, was a visionary entrepreneur, a philanthropist with an unmatched generosity, and a true role model to countless men and women throughout the region."
