Obituary of The Rev. Rosemarie Carnarius

Born November 27, 1938, The Rev. Rosemarie Carnarius made her transition on Saturday, October 10, 2015, after a long and valiant struggle that originated with complications from failed hip surgery, resulting in an early retirement from ministry. Accepting what could not be changed, she began to concentrate on her gift for writing, and ultimately published five volumes on the need for personal and societal transformation. In her reflections, she skillfully isolates the major impediments to progress. Among these are the ravaging effects of excessive consumerism and the dehumanizing consequences of militarism and war, resulting in atrocities, waste, and endless suffering. Promoting instead the oneness of life, universal human rights, peace with justice, environmental protection and reconciliation of science and religion, she offers a blueprint for a spirituality of the 21st century.

A native of former East Germany, Rosemarie experienced as a child the Second World War and the twin tyrannies of fascism and communism. These experiences shaped her life and inspired her to be an agent of change. As a result, her vision of a transformed world is uniquely rooted in a dynamic partnership of spirituality and politics.

At seventeen, Rosemarie escaped to West Germany, and in 1960 arrived in America with her husband Roderick. They resided in Bucks County, PA, raising a son and daughter.

In 1963 she became attracted to Unitarian Universalism because of its 19th century connection to Ralph Waldo Emerson. In fact, over the years, she came to see herself as a neo-Transcendentalist. For that reason she regarded her work “One Light, One Spirit – A Guide to Transformed Living” as a possible thoughtful contribution to the in-depth renewal of our movement. She passionately advocated for such a bold spiritual revitalizing both during her years as a lay minister and as an ordained minister, considering such a step as absolutely essential for Unitarian Universalism to regain its legitimacy as a leading religious presence and voice.

Being enthralled with the beauty of the Southwest during a previous visit, Rosemarie moved to Tucson in 1984. After initially working as Religious Education Director at the Unitarian Universalist Church, she subsequently fulfilled a life-long call to study for the ministry. She enrolled at Starr King School for the Ministry and received her Master’s of Divinity in 1991. Following her ordination in Monterey, CA in the fall of 1992, she immediately began a 2-month speaking tour at the invitation of the German Unitarians. Traveling extensively and engaging with a wide variety of people, Rosemarie deeply reconnected with her German roots. The experience was one of the most poignant and inspiring of her ministry.

She served churches in Cheyenne, WY, Las Cruces, NM and Tucson, AZ, where she was called to be Minister in Association in 1998. This allowed her to continue ministry on a scaled-down version. She periodically presented sermons at UUCT and to congregations in Green Valley and Sierra Vista. She also officiated at weddings and memorial services, offered spiritual counseling and taught classes on the Spirituality of the World’s Religions.

In 1994, her imagination and excitement were kindled by the Enneagram, a compelling typology of nine basic personalities and a powerful tool for personal growth. She was exposed to its potentials during a week-long international conference at Stanford University in the summer of that year. Experiencing most of its great teachers and writers, and resonating with the wide-ranging possibilities presented by the Enneagram for psychological self-knowledge and spiritual transformation, she enthusiastically introduced it to the congregations she served. In the process, she reached hundreds of members who spoke of being singularly enriched by its value and wisdom.

Rosemarie’s earlier life experiences of war and dictatorship led to a strong commitment to human rights, self-determination and peace with justice. These foundational values were the reason for her joining UUJME (Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East). She greatly appreciated how the dedicated members courageously put UU principles into action.

As her disability increased, focusing on the suffering of others helped Rosemarie through many difficult hours. Having direct knowledge of repressive systems, her empathy for the oppressed of this world was deep and intense. It is not an exaggeration to say that, especially since September 11, 2001, the fate of humanity was her first focus in the morning and her last thought at night. Indeed, she often listened to the BBC’s World Update through long stretches of the night. And she never missed taping Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now, much of it for sharing with Inside Out, a dialogue group she started in the aftermath of 9/11, focusing especially on the tragic conditions in the Middle East. Its members consisted of individuals who were deeply alarmed about the direction our country had taken since that fateful day. The group started to meet in her and Aston’s home in March 2002, and did so for 11 years.

In addition, coming to America made of her a prolific letter writer to government officials and editors alike. Even her forced confinement to bed in the summer of 2014 did not stop the desire to speak up and out on social and political issues. In fact, during the first 6 months of her being unable to walk any longer, she had 5 letters published in the Arizona Daily Star.

Despite sometimes excruciating pains and increasing immobility, she completed what she had set out to accomplish: writing about the human condition and the immense challenges of our time, even as she offered pathways for creating a more sane and humane world. Her titles reveal her profound concerns and broad interests: Liberating Masculine and Feminine – Breaking the Spell of Exclusion; Envisioning a New World— Awakening to Life’s Oneness; Humanity at a Crossroads: Which Way Home?; The Ultimate Choice: Armageddon or Awakening; One Light, One Spirit – A Guide to Transformed Living.

Then, in the fall of 2013, responding to the urgent request of a friend, she embarked on yet another major project by compiling most of her poems into five volumes of verses, which she titled: A Scent of Beauty, Reflections from a Riper Hour, Light above the Clouds, Gold Dust from a Midnight Sun and a new and greatly expanded edition of Sounds of Protest, Songs of Praise (first published in 2001). The work was accomplished under extraordinarily trying circumstances.

Rosemarie had an intense passion for beauty, music, (especially opera), drama, photography and an enduring love for nature dating back to childhood. A romantic and visionary, she preferred living at the edge, trusting in the goodness and generosity of life. Her capacity for connecting with people from the heart earned her the reputation of never having met a stranger.

Mourning her transition and celebrating her uncommon life are her long-time partner Aston Bloom, son Michael (Karla), daughter Patricia (Brad), grandchildren Ian Christopher, Kristen, Nicole, Michael and Lesley, sister Karin (Rolf), nephews and nieces and other relatives in Germany, as well as dear friends in both this country and abroad. A memorial service will be held (tentatively) on Saturday, November 21, at the UU Church of Tucson. Donations in honor of Rosemarie’s life and work can be made to ANERA – American Near East Refugee Aid, 1111 14th St. NW, #400, Washington, DC 22225.