Rosemarie Kluepfel

Carl L. Marcellino

May 13, 2015

Rosemarie Kluepfel

Award: HONORING WOMEN IN NEW YORK

Year: 2015

Rosemarie Kluepfel is an Elwood resident and single mother of three who makes a difference in her community by devoting countless hours to helping others. Ms. Kluepfel is a New York State Licensed Banking Mortgage Loan Specialist for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. In addition to her mortgage expertise, she is a writer, speaker and a member of several professional business organizations. 

For five years, Ms. Kluepfel coordinated a fashion show, with help of the Walt Whitman Mall, to work with local residents and the media to raise funds for the Dolan Family Health Center. The Center helps off set health care costs for those who have lost coverage or who are struggling due to economic challenges. 

Also a writer, Ms. Kluepfel wrote “Give Me a Voice,” in 2012, a song which tells the story through the eyes of a child being bullied. The song received a five-star rating on iTunes, and all money raised from the sales was donated to an anti-bullying campaign to help raise awareness in schools. 

In 2013, after speaking to a group of homeless veterans at the VA Medical Center in Northport, Ms. Kluepfel was inspired to write another song, “The Reason I Breathe” – a song with Post Traumatic Stress undertones. She donated her rights to the song to the Fairway Foundation, the 501(c)3 arm of her employer, allowing them to use the proceeds of the sale of the CD to raise funds and awareness for the needs of local veterans. Ever since, she has been an active advocate for veterans’ causes and a regular fixture at the Nathan Hale Post #1469 and other veteran-related entities. 

In 2014, the Fairway Foundation joined forces with the Office of the Suffolk County Executive to work to award two mortgage-free homes to local Purple Heart recipients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Ms. Kluepfel volunteered her expertise in construction and design to help oversee the renovations. She also solicited the help of the community to seek out other volunteers and donations toward the rehabilitation of the distressed properties. 

Ms. Kluepfel continues to serve veterans by distributing Purple Hearts throughout Suffolk County to help raise funds needed for the project.