San Antonio business and philanthropic leader Rosemary Kowalski has died at age 100.
Kowalski, a San Antonio native, founded the hospitality and culinary service RK Group after she and her husband operated a successful barbecue restaurant. The venture won the catering contract for HemisFair ’68 and eventually secured a contract for the food concessions at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Over the decade, Kowalski’s business served food to Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II and multiple U.S. presidents and expanded into markets outside of San Antonio, according to the Express-News. In 2004, she became one of the few women inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
“Rosemary Kowalski was an icon of San Antonio, whose name is synonymous with hospitality, philanthropy and small business,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement shared on his social media accounts.
“She was universally admired and leaves a living legacy in her children and grandchildren who continue her mission of sharing San Antonio’s heart with the world,” he continued. “We all learned from her and were touched by her omnipresence in our community over the years.”
Kowalski was a visible figure in San Antonio business and philanthropic circles well into her 90s. She and her family celebrated her 100th birthday on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas, according to the Express-News.
The Texas Cavaliers also revealed last week that Kowalski would serve as grand marshal for the group’s 2025 River Parade during Fiesta.
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This article appears in Nov 28-29, 2024.
