Colleen Rosemary (O’Keefe) Rosinbum

1925  –  2026

Colleen Rosemary Rosinbum

Colleen Rosemary (O’Keefe) Rosinbum was born on July 27, 1925 in Le Claire, Iowa, and passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family in Seattle, Washington on April 16, 2026, at the age of 100.

Colleen and her older sister, Nataline, lived with their parents, Raymond and Gladys O’Keefe, in Chicago. At the age of five, when Colleen’s mother became ill, she and her sister moved back to Le Claire to live with their maternal grandparents, Robert and Jenny Nolan.

After her grandfather died, Colleen and Nataline were raised by their grandmother. When she was 13, Colleen moved to Seattle to live with her uncle and aunt, Bob and Marie Nolan. She attended Holy Names Academy and the University of Washington.

Colleen met her husband, Ralph Rosinbum, on a blind date and they were married on August 4th, 1945. They were blessed with five sons and four daughters. Once her youngest was old enough to walk, Colleen became a real estate agent. In her first year, she won her company’s Rookie of the Year award. She had a long and successful career until she retired at the age of 83.

Colleen and Ralph loved hosting family gatherings and parties for every holiday and special occasion, creating a sense of community with their family, among their friends, and with the casts of Ralph’s many theater productions.

Colleen was a loving, caring and generous wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend to many. She was very proud of her children for becoming “good people with strong values and kind hearts.” Her legacy lives on through her surviving family and the joy, selflessness, and spirit she shared with all who knew her.

Colleen is survived by her nine children: Michael Rosinbum (Sue), Mark Rosinbum (Nan), Bob Rosinbum, Tod Rosinbum (Mary Ellen), Becky Sokolow (Sandy), Jim Rosinbum (Sue), Wendy Morgan (Cary), Nancy Black (Scott), Jackie Holmes (Rusty), 18 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren.

Colleen was preceded in death by her parents Raymond and Gladys O’Keefe, her sister Nataline Tusberg, her husband Ralph Rambo Rosinbum, her grandson Benjamin Max Sokolow, and her daughter-in-law Sigrid Rosinbum.

Donations in her memory may be made to the University of Washington Newman Center at https://uwnewman.org/giving.

Recitation of the Rosary will be Monday, May 11th at 10:30 AM, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM and Reception at 12:00 PM at Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 9th Ave NE, Seattle 98105.

Interment will follow at Holyrood Cemetery 205 NE 205th Street, Shoreline, Washington.