Rose Belcastro (née Bentivegna), 83, passed away on 5/31/26, in Middletown, NJ. 

Rose was born on April 18, 1943 in Brooklyn, NY to Rachel and Michael Bentivegna. She grew up in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn with her parents and her older brother, Michael. 

Rose graduated from Bay Ridge High School and later studied at Stenotype Academy. She spent several years, in the 1960’s and early ‘70s working as a court stenographer in New York City’s Family Court system. When you look back at photos of her from that time period, she was always in a polished, tailored dress, often wearing a bouffant-style wig. She loved clothes and always took pride in her style, and even in her later years, she was always impeccably dressed, especially for work.  

 In 1968, Rose married the love of her life, Larry Belcastro. The couple made their home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where they raised their three children, Janine, Larry, and Lynda. After starting a family, Rose put her all into being a loving, hands-on, stay-at-home mother. She always used to say that raising her children was the happiest time of her life. She took great joy in caring for their home, gardening, cooking meals that brought her family together, and going to all of her kids activities & being their biggest fan at their sporting events. 

When her kids were young, Rose volunteered at Saint Ephrem’s School, which was their family parish and where her kids went to school. As a mother, Rose provided structure, stability, warmth, and fun. Dinner was always on the table at 6 o’clock. She hand-made the Halloween costumes and helped with the science projects. More importantly though, she provided a home full of nurturing, love and laughter. Their home in Brooklyn was the hub for all their children’s friends. Rose and Larry had a long and happy marriage (53 years). They were the first ones on the dance floor at any party, and were always by each other’s side, until he passed in 2022. When they lived in Brooklyn, they used to have poker games at their house every Friday night with their friends and her beloved sister-in-law, Patricia Izzi. 

Rose returned to the work force in the late 1980’s, in the NYC Department of Education, first as a school lunch lady and later as a school secretary. She went to Kingsborough Community College to earn the credits she needed to get the school secretary job. She retired from PS 721K in Brooklyn in 2006. Rose took pride in her job and exuded professionalism and efficiency. When she retired, they hired three people to replace her. 

Rose and Larry had a vacation home in the Poconos and they enjoyed the peace and tranquility there. Before retiring, they spent nearly every weekend there. After retirement, they settled in a fun retirement community in Henderson, Nevada. They would spend most of the year there, and would return to their home in Effort, Pennsylvania during the summers to be closer to family. They enjoyed their lifestyle in Nevada, often going out to dinner, shows and socializing with the many friends they made there. Rose took up quilting in Nevada and made many beautiful quilts. In 2021, they moved to Middletown, New Jersey, into a mother-daughter home with their daughter Janine, son-in-law Eric, and granddaughter Lia. Rose was a wonderful “Grammy”. She took great pride in her grandchildren and cherished every moment spent with them.

Rose had an amazing spirit and beautiful smile. She radiated positivity and resilience throughout her life. When she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, at 50, she met it with unwavering optimism, often lifting others with her humor. She used to say that the doctors considered her case remarkable, as she exceeded all expectations. Even after the cancer returned in 2018 as stage 4, she carried on with the same determination, outlasting every prediction. Though her later years were marked by significant challenges, including constant vertigo from treatment, she never lost her warmth, continuing to joke, offer compliments, and brighten the days of those around her, including the hospital staff that she would make laugh.

Rose was a kind and wise person. She always gave sound advice. She had a strong moral compass and sense of fairness. She loved animals and donated to the ASPSA. In recent years, she loved to watch Hallmark Christmas movies, police, emergency and medical show dramas, like NYPD Blue, Rescue 911, Blue Bloods, and Grey’s Anatomy. She always used to say, “I would have made a good cop”.

Rose is survived by her children, Janine Belcastro, Larry Belcastro (Andrea) and Lynda Belcastro (Vanessa). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Sabrina Belcastro, Lia Pegosh, Lucas Belcastro, Ruby Belcastro and Michael Belcastro, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, in-laws, life-long friends and her dog, Ben. She is preceded in death by her husband, Larry Belcastro, her parents, Rachel and Michael Bentivegna, her brother, Michael Bentivegna, her cousin, Mary Guida, her son-in-law, Eric Pegosh Jr., and her dear friend, Laura Garafolo.  

Visitation will be held at Posten McGinley Funeral Home, 59 E Lincoln Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ on Thursday, 6/4/26 from 5-8. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, 6/5/26 at 11:00 am at Saint Agnes Catholic Church, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Private burial.