September 5, 1955 – August 20, 2025

Celebration of Life at 1:00pm on Sunday, September 21st at the Grand Portage Community Center.

Rosie Novitsky passed away in her home on August 20, 2025, at the age of 69. She passed peacefully, surrounded by close friends and family. Rosie left this world the same way she lived in it, with humor and grace.

Born on September 5, 1955, Rosie Deschampe grew up in a modest home with a barrel stove and no indoor plumbing. She lived her entire life on the Grand Portage Reservation next to the shores of Lake Superior. Rosie was a proud member of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa (Bear Clan). As a young girl she grew to love the outdoors while driving the forested back roads with her father and siblings. There were seven children in her family. As the middle child, Rosie grew up helping to care for the younger ones, and tagging along with her older brothers and sister, learning from their adventures. Rosie was known for her kind spirit, her beautiful smile and her soft spoken sarcasm. A close friend recalled her “wicked sense of humor”. In 1974, after a one year courtship, she married Rick and took a job at the old log school as a teaching assistant. By the start of the 80’s she had given birth to two sons Travis, and David. Rosie and Rick often took their young family on camping trips in search of wild blueberries. Making handcrafted holiday cards and scrapbooking were also favorite pastimes. She loved to bake and play couples cribbage. Rosie never had trouble finding a cribbage partner. When she became a grandmother, Rosie cherished the time spent with her grandchildren creating keepsake crafts and memories together. And every year she looked forward to watching them dance at powwows in regalia she helped them make. In her later years she did beadwork, and took long walks on the sand beach near her home searching for sea glass. Rosie and Rick often went walleye fishing together. She once caught two fish at the same time on one hook! For most of her adult life, Rosie was a leader in her community. She led quietly, with honest humility and without drawing attention to herself. Upon learning of her passing, a former student wrote “she was someone who showed me unbelievable kindness . . . who helped instill in me a sense of community and self-confidence . . . she was always helping her community . . . she was a true community builder”. Rosie served her community 21 years working for Tribal Government, first as education director and then as overall supervisor of the education, health services and social services programs. Twenty-nine years ago Rosie created the enormously popular summer mentorship program for Grand Portage youth. She eventually retired in 2022 after working another 23 years at Grand Portage National Monument as the programs administrator. Her contributions at the monument helped create a stronger partnership between the National Park Service and the Grand Portage community. Throughout all of this time, Rosie volunteered on numerous committees, mostly to improve the quality of education and other services in her native community. Rosie was preceded in death by her parents Norman Sr. and Irene (Hendrickson), brother Norman Deschampe Jr, sister Sally Deschampe, sister Mary Ann Gagnon, and two infant brothers. She is survived by Rick, her husband of 51 years, two sons Travis (Heather) and David, Grandchildren Shaelynn, Lilly, Eva and Tyler. Siblings Larry “Fish” Deschampe (Janis), Allen (Diane) Deschampe, and Marlene Deschampe. And many nieces and nephews and over fifty first cousins who shared their lives with hers.