Rose Julia Barile Catalanotti -- “Rosie” to her friends -- passed away on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at the age of 77 in San Francisco. Heartbreakingly, like so many people this past year, she died due to complications from COVID-19. 

Rose was born March 22, 1943 in New Haven, CT to Florence and Anthony Barile. Rose graduated from James Hillhouse High School in 1961, and graduated from Boston University in 1965 with a B.S. in nursing and in 1967 with her M.S. in Psychiatric Nursing. She later obtained her Clinical Specialist Certificate and completed a fellowship at Harvard Community Health Plan in Braintree.

In her 50 plus years as a psychiatric nurse, she worked at Boston State Hospital, McLean Hospital and Brigham and Women’s. She was the Chair of the Psychiatric Department at the Mass General Hospital School of Nursing. She then went on to work as a Mental Health RN Clinician at Harvard Community Health Plan for 13 years. Eventually, she opened her own private practice in Braintree and a second office in her home in Needham, Massachusetts that she practiced out of for several decades. 

Rose cared deeply for her patients and their families, listening to their stories and sharing her own
in her unique approach to therapy. She helped people move on from grief and loss, showed them how to find joy in their lives and to believe in their potential. She made people laugh and feel special. She showed them that they already had everything they needed to heal and thrive. On more than one occasion her children were told, “your mom saved my life.”

She loved gardening and kept a brilliant yard of flowers and trees in Needham. She loved to craft and to fix broken and forgotten things. She found tremendous joy in telling stories about her family -- especially embarrassing ones about her children. 

She will be remembered for her sense of humor, her sharp wit, her love of dancing and her endless generosity. Even when she could no longer walk or stand unassisted, she would dance in her seat when she heard music that she loved. 

Rose is survived by her two sons Joseph and Peter; their partners - Maggie Williams and James DiCicco; her three granddaughters: Luca (3), Gemma (13 months), and Osaka (15 months), and her brother Ralph Barile (Hamden, CT).  

The family plans to spread Rose’s ashes alongside her parents, in the cemetery of St. Lawrence, West Haven, CT.

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As a way to celebrate Rose's life, we are collecting memories, stories, photos, and videos of Rose here. Please leave a note, we would love to hear from you. And, if you are interested, we'll let you know about any future opportunities to commemorate her. Personal contacts are always welcome.