Friday, April 19, 2024
Those who know Brian and Patricia “Pat” Rosetti know that they support the community in many ways. But the first thing that tends to come to mind is the couple’s support of each other.
Brian is a member of First Christian Church, but his Catholic wife is a member of St. Francis Cabrini. During the almost 40 years of their marriage, each has stayed true to their religious affiliations but neither attends church alone.
Brian attends Saturday evening mass with Pat, and Pat goes to church on Sunday morning with Brian.
“It’s a matter of mutual respect,” Brian said.
Justin Jeter, senior pastor at First Christian Church, finds the couple’s unusual arrangement “fascinating.”
He stated, “What Brian and Pat do is really special. Brian goes to support her, and she comes here to support him. That’s just the kind of people they are.”
The Rosettis give generously to a number of causes, but they do so quietly. They are “private, low-key folks,” according to Granbury Theatre Company board president Micky Shearon and others who know them.
Shearon always credits the Rosettis for their season sponsorships in his curtain speech before every performance, but said that “it took a lot of convincing” before the couple finally agreed to that public acknowledgment.
The Rosettis said that they began financially supporting the GTC when they realized how much the theater company contributes to local tourism. Most of their giving, though, is to charities and organizations that serve animals and people.
“Most of the charities and things we support are those that try to get people to move beyond their situation into a better situation, like the Forward Training Center,” Pat said. “Our goal is to help people improve their lives.”
Brian added, “We like to try to move people out of poverty, or keep them from dropping into poverty. I like to refer to it as economic self-sufficiency.”
As for four-legged creatures, the Rosettis support Fossil Rim in Glen Rose and Friends for Animals in Acton.
Other benefactors of the Rosettis’generosity include Mission Granbury, Ruth’s Place, the Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center, several agencies in Tarrant County, and the couple’s two churches.
“They are people who value sustainable change, and that’s one of Brian’s favorite terms,” said Jeter. “He doesn’t want to just give somebody a check so they can have a good day. He wants to give in a way that fosters sustainable change. He and Pat both feel that way. They really invested themselves and their resources and their love.”
Jeter’s late father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, was a beneficiary of Brian’s selfless love.
Jeter said that Brian regularly took the elder Jeter for long drives that were a source of laughter and joy for the former pastor during his final year of life.
“I will be forever grateful to Brian for that,” he said.
GENEROUS SPIRITS
Anyone with resources can write a check, but Brian and Pat also give of their time.
Brian is finishing a two-year term as chair of the Hood County For Healthy Children Coalition, and Pat is co-coordinator for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program.
During tax season, she will be one of the volunteers stationed at the Hood County Library to help seniors prepare their tax returns.
At St. Francis Cabrini, Pat serves as an usher and reads from the pulpit during mass.
“Pat’s very involved,” said Bob Beckley, a member of that church.
He said that Pat doesn’t just read at the Saturday evening masses she attends; she also drives to the church to do readings for weekday services.
As for Brian, he was recently elected moderator at First Christian and will take over that leadership role on Jan. 1. Jeter said that Brian’s leadership abilities became apparent soon after he became a member of that congregation.
“He’s a very good, wise, strategic thinker but also a caring person,” he said.
Although both Rosettis spend a lot of hours giving back to the community, they make time for leisure activities. They enjoy playing golf, both with each other and with friends.
“We usually do one big couples tournament around the state once or twice a year,” Brian said. “This year, it was in Texarkana.”
Brian was raised in the New York City area. Pat grew up on a farm near Albany.
Brian has an undergraduate degree in engineering and spent about 30 years in the aerospace industry before working for seven years as a fund raiser for a faith-based nonprofit in Tarrant County.
Pat was a history teacher, then started her own computer-related business. During the time that Brian was in the nonprofit field, she taught GED (General Equivalency Diploma) classes. She ended her career teaching special education classes at Richland High School.
The Rosettis chose Hood County for their retirement years, moving here from Bedford in 2005. They have a home near the Nutcracker Golf Club in Pecan Plantation.
The couple has a blended family of four grown children, two sons and two daughters. The youngest daughter is their biological child.
Because the oldest daughter and her own son both became parents at a young age, the Rosettis have two great-granddaughters who are older than three of the Rosettis’ four grandchildren.
DEAR FRIENDS
Bruce Connor, a neighbor of the Rosettis and one of Brian’s golf buddies, said that he calls Brian “my 3 a.m. friend.”
He stated, “He’s the kind of guy you can call if you need him at 3 o’clock in the morning and he would be there for you.”
Susie Hanson, another neighbor of the Rosettis and one of Pat’s golfing girlfriends, praised the pair and said that she considers Pat “a dear friend.” She said that Pat is an “amazing, giving person” and an “unsung hero” who quietly gives of her time.
“She does a lot of things under the radar that not many people would know,” Hanson said. “I know that she and Brian are very benevolent in their giving. Both of them give very liberally to so many causes.”
St. Francis member Joe Snelus said that he and his wife Jean have been friends with the Rosettis for about 10 years and often go to dinner with them after Saturday night mass.
“They’re both very charitable, very giving to anyone who has a need,” Snelus said. “They’re real humble, unassuming folks.”
Said Hanson of the Man and Woman of the Year designation, “I can’t think of any couple who deserves the honor more than the Rosettis do.”
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