Obituary of Rosaleen T McMaster

Rosaleen T. McMaster, 88, of Basking Ridge Rosaleen McMaster died Thursday, February 11 at Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge, where she had resided for the last three years. Born in Kearny in 1932, Rose lived for many years in Rutherford before moving to Basking Ridge in 1977. Before her move to Fellowship Village, Rose spent ten years living at Somerset Run in Somerset, NJ. Rose lived a long and beautiful life, marked by laughter, love, generosity, and service. She married the love of her life, Jack, in 1954 and cared for him until his death in 2008. She leaves behind her children and their families, John McMaster and his wife Mary and their children Mike (Caitlin), Matt, Bob, and Dan; Gregg McMaster; Laurie Williams and her husband Jim and their children Jack, Connor, and Matthew, all of Basking Ridge. Devoted to her large, extended family, she was predeceased by her parents Mike and Meg Johnston, as well as her brothers Richard and Frank Johnston and is survived by her sisters Mary Aussem of Somerset, Claire Kappock of Toms River, Lana Johnston of Paramus, and dozens of truly beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. One of the great passions of her life was her work with addiction recovery. Wherever she lived, she helped to found Al-Anon support group meetings for families suffering or recovering from alcohol or drug addiction and offered her presence and a listening ear to help others on the path to sobriety. Always a devout Catholic, she was a long-time parishioner at St. James Church in Basking Ridge. Due to COVID restrictions, funeral arrangements will be private and reserved to her family. However, the Funeral Mass from St. James Church on Thursday, February 18, 2021 will be livestreamed by Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home in Basking Ridge. Please visit their web site (https://gcfuneralhome.com) for details. A memorial gathering of friends and family will be held in her honor in the spring or summer.