Barbara Buske

Longtime Rochester resident Barbara C. Buske passed away in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 3, 2020, at age 100, at the home of her daughter. Her daughters cared for her for the past year. Barbara was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 11, 1919. Her parents, Anton and Mary Cerovski, were immigrants from Croatia, and Barb provided years of care to each of them at the ends of their lives. Barb had two brothers and sisters-in-law, who predeceased her, John (Anna) Cerovski, and Joseph (Patricia) Cerovski, all of Chicago.

Barb attended Fox Business College in Chicago, and earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago. Before her marriage to Lawrence Robitschek in 1952, Barb worked as an office manager in several Chicago firms, including a diamond importer. Barb and Larry moved to Rochester in 1954, where they had three children: Rex Robitschek (Karen) of Prior Lake, Minnesota; Lauren Greene (John), of Madison Wisconsin; and Christine Robitschek (Michael Gillit), of Lubbock, Texas. Following her divorce in 1974, Barbara became the Bookstore Manager at Rochester Community College, until her retirement. In 1990 she married Harold W. Buske, becoming the step-mother of Gary (Angela) Buske of Midland, MI, and David (Connie) Buske of Rochester. Harold passed away in 2017.

Barb had a long and active life. As a young woman she dearly loved to dance in the ballrooms of Chicago, and studied Classical Spanish Dance. She studied visual arts, traveled in the US and abroad, and enjoyed attending plays and concerts. She acted with the Rochester Community Theater. She was a devoted duplicate bridge player until the age of 100 and developed many valued friendships through bridge. Up to the very end of her long life, she retained her keen intellect, interest in the world, and desire to learn new things.

Of all of the roles she played in her life, Barb considered being a wife, mother and grandmother the most important. She gave deeply felt encouragement to, and showed tremendous pride in all of her family. In addition to her three children, Barb is survived by her three grandchildren, Taylor Greene, Will Greene (Diana Marques) and Naomi Robitschek.

The family thanks the staff of Agrace Hospice and Agape Services for their kind care at the end. No public memorial is planned.