Florence “Cerie” (Jackson) Rowland Obituary

#MIDDLEBURY

Florence “Cerie” (Jackson) Rowland, 85, of Southbury, Conn., and formerly Waterbury, Conn., passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on April 12, 2017.

Cerie was born on Oct. 7, 1931. The daughter of the late Dr. Edward J. and Florence (Delaney) Jackson, Cerie grew up in Middlebury, Conn., and attended St. Margaret McTernan School and St. Mary’s School of Nursing. Cerie was married to Sherwood L. Rowland Jr. for 45 wonderful years until his passing in 2000.

Beloved mother of John and his wife, Patty, of Middlebury, Conn.; Ned and his wife, Colette, of Hingham, Mass.; Henry and his wife, Bea, of Waterbury, Conn.; Marnie Crawford and her husband, Jeff, of North Kingstown, R.I.; and Skip and his wife, Deana, of Watertown, Conn. Known as Gramma-Cat to her 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Cerie is survived by her sister, Veronica Jackson Searles and brother-in-law Bob of Westerville, Ohio. Predeceased by sisters Barbara Mierzwinski of Bethlehem, Conn., and Claire Cassidy of Charlotte, N.C. Cerie also is survived by several nieces and nephews and many dear friends.

Cerie was a long-time member of St. Margaret’s Church in Waterbury, St. Andrew’s on Block Island and more recently Sacred Heart in Southbury. Cerie was known for her spirit and hospitality with meals at her dinner table an unforgettable experience. Her wit and grit left her friends in stitches and her critics in tears. She was an accomplished tennis player, mariner, bridge player, artist, and cook, and brought passion and energy to all she did.

A former Commodore of the Block Island Club, Red Cross nurse, Salvation Army volunteer, Republican Party organizer, St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary, B.I. Ice Cream Store manager, and Waterbury Club member, Cerie steered her activities with the same gutsy confidence as at the helm of the “Tigerina” trawler that she and Sherwood navigated for many years together along the Eastern coast. To a command from Captain Cerie to throw a line, her mate Sherwood would promptly reply “Yes Cerie, I Sherwood!” Cerie loved Block Island summers but perhaps even more the off season. As Cerie often said during a fall hurricane, “We are in for a blow,” and there was no better place to be than in her “Spinnaker Hill” family home of 50 years on the southeast side with a roast in the oven.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church at 910 Main St. S. in Southbury. Visitation will be Monday, April 17, 2017, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home at 115 Willow St. in Waterbury, Conn., as well as Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Sacred Heart Chapel at Sacred Heart Church. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Waterbury.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Cerie’s name may be made to the Mary D. Fund, P.O. Box 323, Block Island, RI 02807.

Visit www.murphyfuneralhomect.com for more information or to send an online condolence.