| SFSU Public Affairs Press ReleasePublished by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center. |
Rose Romberg joins Bob Ohrenschall of Tiburon last December at the dedication ceremony of the new Ohrenschall Guest Center at the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies.
SAN FRANCISCO, MAY 4, 2000 --- Rose Romberg, wife of the late San Francisco State University president Paul F. Romberg and known for her tireless dedication to the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies (RTC), died of a hea rt attack at her Kentfield home on May 2, 2000. She was 78 years of age.
An avid tennis player, Romberg died following a morning game of tennis.
Rose Romberg was an ardent supporter of one of her husband's proudest achievements: obtaining a 25-acre federal parcel for $1 in 1978 and turning it into an international center for environmental research and education.
Located on the bay just outside the town of Tiburon, S.F. State's Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies is known as a top marine and estuarine research and teaching facility. The center was named for Paul Romberg in 1983.
"Rose Romberg was a great lady," said SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan. "She was a close and active partner with her husband, Paul, as he led two campuses of the CSU-Bakersfield and, of course, San Francisco State University. Her partnership and strong support of SFSU exemplified vividly in her long service on the board of the Romberg Tiburon Center -- never flagged."
Added Corrigan: " I like to remember the last occasion on which I saw her at our Centennial Gala, greeting and being greeted, dancing, and delighting in this recognition of a University that was clearly still dear to her. She had an energy and delight in life that drew people to her and that reminds us how life can and should be lived. We will miss her, but Rose Romberg will remain a significant figure in the University's history."
Rose Romberg had been a member of the Romberg Tiburon Center board for 15 years, carrying on her husband's vision for the center. At the time of her death, she was serving on the educational outreach and nominating committees of RTC.
Ann Stephens, a close friend of Rose Romberg and also a member of the RTC board, said that the Romberg Tiburon Center was a main focus of her life. "She was always spreading the word in the community about RTC and what we do," Stephens said.
Over the years, Rose Romberg had been closely involved in planning for the center's annual Discovery Day each fall, raising money for renovation work at center and taking part in community outreach work.
"From the very beginning of the development of the Romberg Tiburon Center, both Paul and Rose Romberg were at the center of the effort," said James C. Kelley, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at SFSU. "Throughout the period since 1975, Rose was a constant source of support and encouragement. After Paul's passing, Rose became a leading force in development of the center. She was present at every event in support of the center and contributed greatly."
As the "First Lady" of S.F. State while her husband was president from 1973-83, Rose Romberg left her mark on the campus. She brought the Metropolitan Opera auditions to the university, revitalized the faculty wives program, reinstituted the honors convocation program and a retirees' tea, and launched the President's Associates.
She was also an important part of the community in Marin County. She taught in the Mill Valley school district and served on the Marin Symphony Board and had been active in the First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael.
Rose Romberg was born on Sept. 9, 1921 in the former East Germany and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She and Paul Romberg met when they were in high school and they married six years later. She earned a degree in music from the University of Nebraska and taught music for more than 35 years in the all levels of public schools.
She is survived her by daughters, Catherine Romberg-Bump of Napa and Rory Romberg-Daniels of Bakersfield; three grandchildren; her brother, Frederick Mayer of Munich, Germany; and her companion Jim Moran of Kentfield.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church at 5th and E streets in San Rafael.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions may be made to the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, 3152 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920-1205.
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Last modified April 24, 2007, by Office
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