Anne Rockwood

Anne was born on August 31, 1929 in North Plainfield, New Jersey to Sophie and Laser David Frankel.  She was the youngest of 5 children, a surprise born 13 years after her 4 siblings.  Her mother was an invalid, so she was essentially raised by her siblings.

She received her BA in 1951 from Hood College and her occupational therapy degree from Columbia University in 1952.  She dearly loved teaching arts and crafts to mental health outpatients. She was so dedicated to her patients that after the Sylmar earthquake of 1971 collapsed the building at Olive View hospital where she worked, she uncharacteristically drove a motor home through Los Angeles traffic in order to provide a place for her to work with her patients.

She married Jerome Rockowitz on June 12, 1952 in New Jersey.  They moved out west to California when Jerry got a job offer in San Diego.  They soon changed their last name to Rockwood to avoid the rampant discrimination of the time, and had four children.  They lived in Chula Vista, San Diego, and Los Angeles, California before moving to Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1974 when Jerry took a job as a patent agent at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Anne created hand built stoneware figurines which she sold at local arts and crafts fairs.

After retirement, Anne and Jerry were full time RVers for 20 years before moving back to Northern New Mexico to be near their daughters and grandchildren.  They then became part time RVers for the next 15 years spending most of every winter in San Miguel de Allende where they helped create a close knit international community in their trailer park with Anne as the matriarch.  She leaves many good friends throughout the length and breadth of North America as well as Europe.  All together, they spent 50 years visiting Mexico beginning in 1965 when they sold the house, packed up the 4 young kids, dog, and cat in the station wagon and spent 3 months driving through Mexico before it was a tourist destination. Their families thought they were crazy.  When they got back to the US, the two older kids were way ahead of their classmates because Anne homeschooled them during the adventure.  For many years the family spent their winter vacations in San Blas where they made great friends and have many fond memories.

Anne is predeceased by her son: Harris Paul; her parents; her siblings: Leon Frankel (Libby), Lilly Rebold (Joe), Woody Frankel (Betty), Teddy Frankel (Millie); and her sister-in-law Rhoda Stern (Bernie).

She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Jerome B. Rockwood; 3 daughters: Sue Porter (Scott), Lisa Trujillo (Irvin), Julie Rockwood (Abe); 4 grandchildren: Adam Armijo-Trujillo (Makayla), Emily Trujillo-DeBuck (Kyle), Kayleen Lederman, Zoe Lederman; 1 great grandson; and 15 nieces and nephews.

Donations can be made in Anne’s memory to Feline and Friends New Mexico.  An inurnment at the Santa Fe National Cemetery and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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