Judith (“Judy”) Rosenau, 88, passed away on the Peninsula peacefully on May 3, 2024, with the loving support of children Heidi Rosenau, of New York, NY (and son-in-law Joseph McGlynn) and Eric Rosenau of Brisbane, CA (and daughter-in-law Carmen Rosenau). She was pre-deceased in 2021 by her husband of more than sixty-two years, Werner Rosenau of Berlin, Germany.
Born in Defiance, Ohio, Judy grew up in nearby Hicksville. She attended Ohio State University and became a medical secretary on campus (and also met Duke Ellington, but that’s another story). In the fall of 1958, she moved to San Francisco, where she met Werner when both were working at UCSF (he was a young Resident in Pathology whose career there ultimately blossomed for more than 60 years; among his many gifts to the field were his teaching and mentoring of generations of doctors who practice today nationwide. Judy is remembered fondly by a vast number of UCSF faculty members and their families for her warmth and leadership in the 1980s/90s of a UCSF scholarship organization.
The week Judy and Werner met was also the occasion of their first date at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. They were engaged a few weeks later and married in January of 1959. Their meeting was just the start of a rich lifetime together of enjoying travel, food, art, music, dance, hiking, and raising a family that incorporated guinea pigs, cats, rats, and frogs (she was also fascinated by hedgehogs).
The first picture of Judy and Werner was shot by legendary photographer Ansel Adams. In the late 1950s, you could buy prints directly from him, and Werner arranged to visit his house one evening to make a selection. Werner brought Judy there on an early date, and Adams asked if he could try to capture them on a new Polaroid camera he’d just purchased. Adams gave them the photo, which remains a family treasure.
Inspired by decades of international travel experiences, Judy volunteered for 35 years at the San Francisco Airport in the traveler’s aid group. She helped untold numbers of confused, excited, and tired tourists arriving and passing through the airport over the decades. She and Werner continued their own travels at the same time, enjoying countless trips to Europe, India, China, the Himalayas, a sabbatical in Kyoto, and jaunts to Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina. Each of these was documented by Judy in scrapbooks and colorfully written journals, a shelf of which her daughter enjoys as a reminder of Judy’s sparkling personality, voice, and keen powers of observation. Judy expanded her knowledge of culture at home, for years participating in the prestigious docent-training course offered by San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum.
Judy and Werner were also great hikers, enjoying parks and beaches in their adopted Golden state. She created a loving homelife for her family, while Werner surrounded them with a Japanese garden and collection of bonsai (some of which can be enjoyed today at Filoli). She was also a remarkable cook and host, legendary for her fantastic dinner parties (the night she brought her guests a flaming platter of Crepe Suzettes, unaware that she’d burned off her bangs, was accompanied by laughter rather than regrets, and apparently the dessert was deemed a fantastic success).
Among her passions was quiet time reading the San Francisco Chronicle, focusing on news as well as the wry daily column of Herb Caen, to whom she wrote regularly. To her great joy, she occasionally found her name referenced in his column.
The immediate family as well as those in California, New York, Ohio, Chicago, Germany, Australia, and Japan will hold Judy (and Werner) Rosenau in their hearts hereafter.
In lieu of flowers, donations to celebrate Judy’s life can be made to the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA (of which she was a longtime supporter) or to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center
