Photo: Courtesy Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce

Many Schroon Lakers – both near and far – are mourning the sudden and tragic loss of a true icon: Rosemarie Ritson. For many of us, our family included, Rosemarie will always be remembered as the woman with the smiling face who sat behind the front counter of the Chamber of Commerce office, bursting with ideas and suggestions of how to enhance our vacation time here in Schroon.

She was a fiercely proud daughter of Schroon Lake, knew everybody, and took an enormous amount of pride in everything she did for the chamber. I’m guessing she must have greeted hundreds of thousands of folks over the years.

I met Rosemarie in the summer of 2006, and from day one she left an indelible impression on me. When God made Rosemary, he or she broke the mold.

When I asked what her favorite restaurant was in town, she told me she couldn’t tell me, because it would show favoritism, and the chamber was not about that. She did say they “were all worth trying.” (I later, I found out that she did have a favorite: Pitkin’s!!!)

A few years later, when our status as summer vacationers turned into second home owners, I discovered she and I shared a passion for postcard collecting. I asked Rosemarie how many cards she had in her collection. She told me she couldn’t reveal that “for security reasons”.

A few years back, when SchroonLaker.com was launched, she became an invaluable resource sharing information and contacts. In the off season, when the chamber was open and she was busy way back at her desk mired in paperwork, I’d go back there and chat with her about Schroon, its future, the good old days , life. and family.

She loaned me books about Schroon’s history, but if I ever wanted to know anything about this area's history, Rosemarie would have all the answers: connecting complicated dots to area family trees. Later, when she moved on and became a volunteer with the Friends of the Schroon Lake Library, I would run into her at their weekly summer book sales. Once again it was that familiar, smile who greeted everyone who entered. I sure will miss that smile.

Please share your memories of Rosemarie in our comments section.