Rosa (Rosita) Remón Thompson, a long-time resident of Evanston, Illinois, passed away on January 20, 2026 in Norwalk, Connecticut. She was 94. Rosita was born on January 6, 1932, in Jibacoa, a rural area near the city of Manzanillo in the province of Oriente, Cuba. She was the eldest of the six children of Miguel Angel Remón Labrada, an industrious farmer and entrepreneur, and Amalia Esther Remón Acosta. When she was young, she was sent to boarding school at Colegios Internacionales in El Cristo, Cuba, from which she received her Bachiller in 1951. She then came to the United States, obtaining a B.A. from Ottawa University in Kansas in 1955 and, after political turmoil in Cuba thwarted her plans to study medicine in Havana, an M.A. from the Teacher's College at Columbia University, New York in 1960. While in New York she met her future husband, Kenneth Thompson, a Ph.D. student at Columbia, whom she married in Cuba in August 1960.

After graduation, Rosita embarked on her first career as a college professor of Spanish, which lasted from 1962 to 1972. She first taught at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where Kenneth was a professor of philosophy, and then at North Park College in Chicago, when Kenneth began his long teaching career at Loyola University of Chicago. During her time at North Park College she took two leaves of absence, one for the birth of her first son, Karl, and a second to join Kenneth for a year-long residence at Loyola's Rome Center, the first of many one-year stints in Rome. During these times in Rome, she became fluent in Italian, made many Italian friends, and developed a deep and lifelong affection for Italian life, food, and culture.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Rosita and Kenneth helped arrange safe passage to the United States for Rosita's relatives displaced by the Cuban Revolution, eventually enabling most of her family, including her parents, siblings, and their children, to join the Cuban community in the Chicago area. Her family's ability to re-unite in Chicago, after a long period of separation and political uncertainty, was a source of great happiness for all involved. The extended family spent innumerable hours together at informal gatherings, summer barbecues, and holidays like Thanksgiving and the traditional Cuban Noche Buena .

After leaving North Park College in 1972, Rosita began volunteering at Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston, discovering her rare gift for early childhood education. She quickly immersed herself in the life of the school, becoming an assistant teacher in 1975, and then—after taking time off for the birth of her second son, Kevin, in 1976—earning her Infant-Toddler Montessori Certificate, and becoming a Toddler Full-Day Head Teacher in 1984, a position she held for the next 22 years. At Chiaravalle Rosita was passionately devoted to her students, and became a beloved and legendary teacher to generations of Evanston children, who frequently cited her guidance and care as pivotal moments in their development. After retiring in 2006, Rosita traveled, visited her grandchildren, spent time with her family in Chicago, and returned to Rome multiple times. After 53 happy years in Evanston, she left in 2024 to live with her sons, first in Washington D.C. and then in Weston, Connecticut.

Rosita was a kind, deeply principled person with boundless energy, an indomitable work ethic, and voracious intellectual curiosity. She was a strong proponent of the importance of education and hard work, and was herself constantly engaged in constructive activities and new learning. She loved classical music and fine arts, supporting her children's musical education and finding many opportunities to attend concerts or go to art museums, whether in Chicago or in the many European cities she visited during her travels. She was an early proponent of healthy eating, seeking out specialty stores where she could buy natural foods long before they became common, and closely following scientific studies of nutrition, health, and medicine generally, using what she learned to benefit her family. She was an accomplished cook, who cooked daily for her family throughout her adult life and devoted many hours to finding and trying new recipes and honing her cooking skills. She was also guided throughout her life by her strong sense of propriety. She firmly believed that people should conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and humanity. She had little patience for those who failed to act appropriately due to selfishness, malevolence, or greed; supported and admired those who did the right thing even when it was hard; and strived to live her own life according to those same fundamental principles.

Rosita is survived by her husband of 65 years, Kenneth Thompson (Weston, Connecticut); her two sons, Karl (Washington, D.C.) and Kevin (Weston, Connecticut); and her four grandchildren, Eliot, Eloise, Clara, and Lucia. She is also survived by her sister, Silvia Remón (Miami, Florida) and brother, Magdiel Remón (Chicago, Illinois).

Condolences can be sent to the family at 67 Blue Spruce Circle, Weston, CT, 06883 or at RememberingRosita@gmail.com. Remembrances and condolences can also be posted at www.boutonfuneralhome.com . A memorial service will be held on May 9 at 3pm at First United Methodist Church of Evanston. All are welcome to come and share in the celebration of Rosita's life.