Rose Ann Hickey

Rose Ann Hickey, 73, of Saranac Lake died Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born in 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. She was the youngest of the four children of John and Elizabeth (Leszczynski) Hickey.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware in 1971, and her master’s in education at Plattsburgh State University in 1987.

She began her teaching career at St. Elizabeth Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught from 1971 to 1976. She moved to Saranac Lake in 1976 and taught at St. Bernard's School from 1976 to 1985. She served as principal of St. Agnes School in Lake Placid from 1990 to 1992 and then returned to teaching at Lake Placid Elementary School, retiring in 2014.

Rose Ann took a break from teaching to be diocesan director of youth ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg from 1985 to 1990. She was a member of the staff of Camp Guggenheim in Saranac Lake and eventually became camp director. When Camp Guggenheim celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer, Rose Ann was in attendance and enjoyed reconnecting with former staff members, campers and their families. In her youth ministry work, Rose Ann made a great impact on the young people who crossed her path. She was a sounding board for many of them, helped nurture them during their teen years and helped them understand and grow in faith. She would hear from many of those youths to this day and always enjoyed catching up on the latest news in their lives and families. There was a lot of reminiscing about their times at Camp Guggenheim, as members of the Diocesan Youth Council and St. Bernard's Youth Group, and their many trips to youth conventions, both in New York and at other locations across the U.S. She was a chaperone for youth attending the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, where Pope John Paul II visited the U.S.

Her parish activities at St. Bernard's Church included being a member of the folk group, member of Parish Council, youth minister and eucharistic minister, and she taught confirmation classes. She was currently serving as regent of Catholic Daughters of America Court St. Bernard. She was also a past president of the Beta Mu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. She was one of the original board members of the Getaway Youth Center in Saranac Lake.

As a cancer survivor, Rose Ann would attend the Creative Healing Connections retreats at Great Camp Sagamore in Raquette Lake. She cherished those times and formed wonderful friendships with the staff and the other women attending the retreats. She was at one time a board member for Creative Healing Connections.

The girl from the city was thrilled to live in the Adirondacks, learning to canoe, kayak, downhill and cross country ski, and snowshoe. She was a volunteer for the 1980 Winter Olympics, lronman Lake Placid and other local events. She participated in several local fundraising trivia contests, most often as a member of the Literacy Bombers team alongside her friends and fellow teachers.

Rose Ann loved to travel and managed to visit all 50 states as well as many of the national parks and several other countries.

Rose Ann was thrilled to be chosen as the queen of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival in 2019, a role she thoroughly enjoyed along with her King "Bunk" Griffin.

She was predeceased by her parents and her three siblings: sisters Sr. Veronice (Patricia Hickey, a Felician nun) and Bernadette Anderson, and her brother John Hickey and his son John Hickey.

She is survived by her nephew Matthew Anderson, his wife Jillian and their son August of Trophy Club, Texas. She is also survived by grandnephews Stone Hickey and Daniel Matys and their mother Michelle Odell, of Utica. She is also survived by her cousins in the Hickey, Noonan and Conrad families. She is also survived by her best friend and traveling companion, Gen Mclaughlin.

She had many close friends whom she enjoyed spending time with.

Donations in Rose Ann's honor may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Camp Guggenheim in care of the funeral home. The Fortune-Keough Funeral Home of Saranac Lake is in charge of arrangements.

Calling hours are set to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30 at the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, 20 Church St., Saranac Lake. A Mass of Christian Burial is set to take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 at St. Bernard's Church in Saranac Lake, with Rev. John Yonkovig officiating. Burial will follow in St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Saranac Lake.