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Rosetta "Colis" Gilbert Obituary

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Rosetta "Colis" Gilbert

Fairfax, VA

February 17, 1958 - January 28, 2020

Rosetta "Colis" Gilbert Obituary

Rosetta Cole “Colis” Gilbert (née Johnston) Born February 17 1958 in Paris, France Died January 28, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia of rheumatic mitral valve disease Colis Gilbert was born in Paris, France, to LCDR USN George T. “Jerry” Johnston and LTJG USN (ret.) Mary Elizabeth “M’Liz” Johnston (née Pettit) while stationed overseas. The family returned to the United States in 1960 and briefly lived in Norfolk, Virginia, before settling in the Rose Hill neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. Colis attended Rose Hill Elementary School, Mark Twain Middle School, St. Mary’s Academy, and graduated from Edison High School in 1976. Although she never attended college, Colis was a lifelong learner. After graduating, Colis worked as a word processor and systems administrator for firms including PriceWaterhouse. After leaving PriceWaterhouse, she established her own word processing business, WordMasters, and prepared work such as restaurant reviews, contract bids, and personal needs for her clients. Her business allowed her to work inside the home and work on a variety of creative interests. She retired in 1993 to devote her full-time energies to being a mother and extraordinary volunteer and community advocate. She was well-known at Parklawn Elementary School, Belvedere Elementary School, Glasgow Middle School and was proud to receive volunteer recognition awards from them. She often looked back fondly as a parent supporter and “Cookie Mom” for Girl Scout troops 2804 and 1173. She also was a supporter of youth soccer and Odyssey of the Mind teams. Colis cared about civic service. Colis lived with epilepsy but “never let it get her down.” She fought to be fairly employed before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was adopted and never let her invisible condition keep her from living her life the way she wanted to live it. She spent many Election Days working at the polls as a volunteer to ensure people could cast their vote. She followed current events, news, politics, and issues she cared about with regularity. She was a long-time dedicated supporter and fan of the Fairfax County Farmers Markets. She spent over two decades as a regular patron and then volunteer at the Thursday George Mason market, among others. Colis respected and cherished so many of the vendors with whom she built relationships. She treated new discoveries and fresh produce as treasures and frequently went out of her way to share her finds far and wide among neighbors, family, and friends. Her time at the farmers markets were a weekly highlight for a full third of her life. Many of her friends were recipients of things Colis made, from antique plate garden flowers, embroidery and needlepoint, and candles, to infused sugars, dried peppers, baked goods, and more. Colis appreciated handmade items and food “from scratch” and placed value in the preservation of traditional craft and cooking methods. She spent much time working on projects and was generous in sharing the fruits of her creative labor. One of the places you could find Colis at her happiest was at a concert watching any band or performer live. Her tastes ranged from bluegrass and folk to blues and rock n’ roll. Colis attended an inestimable number of concerts in her life with family and friends. A favorite place to vacation was Colorado, where the family visited sites including Mesa Verde, Mancos, Cortez, Durango, Gold Hill, Nederland, Estes Park, and Boulder, where she has enjoyed back-to-back Dead & Company shows for three years running. Beaches were happy places for Colis to spend time. Both in childhood and adulthood, beach trips were full of family, jigsaw puzzles, tunes, cooking, crab-picking, and combing the shore for seaglass. They were escapes from the regular busy pace of life that all too often keeps people apart. Colis looked forward to the togetherness that was found in the quiet moments, punctuated by the sound of the waves breaking. Colis loved road trips with her husband and family, and they traveled extensively domestically. She was a sports fan who followed Formula 1 racing closely and cheered for driver Fernando Alonso and Scuderia Ferrari. She enjoyed regular trips to Indianapolis, Indiana and Austin, Texas with family and dear friends to attend United States Grands Prix. She was also a fan of the Washington Capitals and Washington Nationals and delighted in both teams’ recent championships. Colis Johnston met her future husband, Ken Gilbert, in 1974 while they both played in a weekly neighborhood pickup softball game. Colis would tell you that Ken’s long auburn hair and dedication to keeping the top down in his MGs (in all weather except rain- yes, even snow!) is what intrigued her, but his kindness, wit, and capacity to love is what kept her. Colis and Ken spent nine years together in love before settling in their home on North Chambliss Street in Alexandria and marrying in 1983 at Bush Hill Presbyterian Church. They honeymooned in France where they were hosted by the Marcovich family, friends of Colis’ parents. Colis and Ken visited many of the places together that Colis lived the first two years of her life in Paris, and also explored sites in Northern France, including the Normandy beaches and Mont-Saint-Michel. This happy trip provided a lifetime of memories. On September 29, 1987, Colis and Ken welcomed their daughter, Lauren Nicole, into the world, and on December 18, 1993 she was followed by a son, Earl Thomas. Colis was a dedicated mother and loved her children unconditionally and unrelentingly. The North Chambliss house was also the home of Colis’ “four-legged kids,” Lightning, Corky, Starr, Magellan, and Libby. Colis loved all dogs, but especially loved her dogs. Colis’ given name was Rosetta, but all her friends knew her by a nickname bestowed upon her at birth by a pair of newlyweds starting a new chapter of life in the City of Love. Pronounced “co-lee,” colis means “parcel” in French, and she was her parents’ love parcel. She truly lived up to her nickname and was a source of love and support to all who knew her. Colis will be forever remembered and loved by husband and best friend Ken and their children Lauren and Earl, brother Tom, sister-in-law Diana, nieces Leah, Haley, Rachel, and Betsy. Colis was predeceased by her father in 1982 and mother in 1995. A memorial service celebrating Colis’ life will be held at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home located at 9902 Braddock Road in Fairfax on Saturday, February 8th, 2020, with a memorial service from 6:00pm - 7:00pm, and visitation with the family in the 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock hours. All are welcome to gather at Oh George! Tables and Taphouse, 10659C Braddock Road, Fairfax at 8:00pm to share memories and celebrate Colis’ life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), https://ocrahope.org/.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Rosetta "Colis" Gilbert.