Rosalin Anne (Liebelt) Youngberg

Rosalin Anne (Liebelt) Youngberg, 85, of Tempe, AZ passed away peacefully at home on April 24, 2022, surrounded by family. She was born in Chicago, IL and lived most of her life in the Chicagoland area before relocating to Tempe in 1997.

After her early years in the Irving Park district at Murphy and Schurz schools, she went to work at Illinois Bell Telephone Company. There, she met Ronald E. Youngberg. They married on April 25, 1959, and moved to Park Ridge, IL to raise their young family. Rosalin was a stay-at-home Mom and an active school volunteer, Girl Scout Troop Leader, Cookie Central Coordinator, and Day Camp Counselor.

The family moved to Bernardsville, NJ in 1974 after Ron was transferred to the new AT&T headquarters. Rosalin continued to volunteer at her children’s schools, but as they got older, she decided it was time to go back to school herself. Finding a college to accept a 40-year-old mother of four was not easy in the mid-70s. Only the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ, would accept her. She finished her bachelor’s degree in elementary education there. She continued her education at Northern Illinois University where she completed her master's degree in Library Sciences with a specialist certification in Reading.

She began her teaching career at Transfiguration Elementary School in Wauconda, IL and continued at St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich, IL in the classroom teaching first grade and then as the school librarian. Later, she moved on to  work as the children’s librarian at Vernon Area Public Library.

But with new grandchildren living in Arizona, Rosalin and Ron decided to retire and re-locate to Tempe. Rosalin loved being a Grandma, and the family enjoyed gathering at her kitchen table for weekly Sunday dinners which seemed to frequently include black olive and carrot lollipops. In retirement, Rosalin and Ron enjoyed traveling, especially to Disney World in December. She and Ron also participated in Elderhostel service programs helping to build hogans on the Navajo Nation and trails at Homolovi State Park, cataloging Basque dendroglyphs on Aspen trees near Flagstaff, and revegetating areas of the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

However, Rosalin’s work nurturing young minds was not over. With her grandchildren attending  the new Summit School of Ahwatukee, Rosalin volunteered to establish the library and Great Books reading program. With the help of Ron, she created the library from scratch, building bookcases and cataloguing thousands of books. Even her grandchildren helped to paint the walls! Over eight years, she loved seeing her grandchildren daily while playing a small role in the formal education of all of the students. She enjoyed dressing up as Dr. Seuss who said, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ She left Summit in 2009 to care for Ron after his stroke. However, she continued to volunteer when she could at the local public library and tutored in their afterschool reading program.

Rosalin loved to read, especially mysteries, and was usually first in line for the latest titles at the local library. She loved to watch ‘Jeopardy’ and was known to put her hand up and say, ‘I know, I know,’ while the family was playing Trivial Pursuit. She loved taking drives, visiting the Desert Botanical Garden, and listening to KBACH, the local classical music station.

She is survived by her children Carole Youngberg, Patricia Andrew (Bill), Paula Webb (James), Ronald Youngberg, Jr.; grandchildren, Katie, Billy, and Kelly Andrew; brothers Robert Liebelt and Arthur Liebelt; and nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Ronald Edwin Youngberg, and her parents Arthur and Helen Liebelt. Services will be private and provided by Richardson Funeral Home in Tempe, AZ.

A tree will be planted at Desert Breeze Park, Chandler, AZ in memory of Rosalin near the one planted in memory of Ron. (Living Tree Donation Program, City of Chandler)

In remembrance of Rosalin and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to KBACH which brought her joy for many years. Or consider a gift of literacy with a donation of your favorite book to your local library, support for Kids Need to Read, or sit with a child and read.

Friends of Public Radio Arizona - KBACH
P. O. Box 62228

Phoenix, AZ 85082-2228

www.kbach.org

Kids Need to Read
2450 West Broadway Road, Suite 110
Mesa, AZ 85202

www.kidsneedtoread.org

Thank you to Infinity Hospice Care, Home Instead Senior Care, and Ironwood Cancer and Research Center for caring for Rosalin.

Richardson Funeral Home, Tempe, Arizona is compassionately serving the Youngberg family.