DOVER - Patricia Raquel Wood Bushweller, "Rocky" passed away on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019.
Rocky was born May 16, 1947 on Siesta Key in Sarasota, Fla. to her parents William Wood and Beatrice Keigley Wood.
Rocky was the vision and the glue for her great family. Her husband, five children, and ten grandchildren along with countless others know. It was all in her name. Rocky was the Rock.
If her children were involved, she was involved. From PTAs and PTOs to Dover High School band, football, and chorus boosters to attending every football game and theater performance, she embraced it all. Sometimes to her children's chagrin, she never missed a chance to chaperone a school trip. (Although, her children all now admit that they secretly liked it.)
Not surprising anyone, her interest in her grandchildren's exploits was as strong as it had been for her children. She genuinely loved caring for them, sitting in the stands or in the theater seats, and cheering them all on. There was no other place she'd rather have been. She made sure her grandchildren felt her love every day.
Rocky's passion and dedication went beyond her family. She was very active in Kent County politics. She made lifelong friends as the volunteer Kent County Co-chair of Tom Carper's congressional campaigns, as a 2-term chair of the 31st District Democrat Committee and as a volunteer in many other county and state Democratic campaigns. In 1996, she was recognized as Kent County's Outstanding Democrat. Most notably, she was the campaign chair for her husband's four campaigns for the Delaware State Senate.
Rocky was deeply involved in her community. In addition to having served as a Program Director for the YMCA of Delaware, she was Treasurer of Dover's Modern Maturity Center as well as a member of its Board of Directors. Rocky took special pleasure in her monthly book club meetings and she thoroughly enjoyed her relationships with her multitude of friends and colleagues. The students she supervised in the YMCA Youth in Government program created a "Rocky Bushweller Fan Club" page on Facebook.
She was a special person to all.
But, Rocky's primary focus in life was always her family. She will forever be loved and remembered by her husband of 53 years, Brian Bushweller, her daughter Samantha Bushweller and fiancée Robert Longhurst, her daughter Stephany Bushweller, her son Jeremy Bushweller and wife Stephanie, her son Joshua Bushweller and fiancée Kimberly Lawson, and daughter Sarah Castellano and husband Giuseppe; grandchildren Caroline and Joshua Bennett, Riley, Logan, Brayden, Colby, and Brinn Bushweller, and Luca, Eva, and Emilia Castellano.
A celebration of Rocky's life will be held 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 at Torbert Funeral Chapel South, 1145 E Lebanon Road (Rt 10), Dover. A visitation will be held two hours prior.
In lieu of flowers the family asks contributions be made to: The Modern Maturity Center, in memoriam of Rocky Bushweller, 1121 Forrest Ave., Dover, DE 19904.
Letters of condolence may be sent and guestbook signed at www.torbertfuneral.com.