Rosemary Louise Walters died peacefully at home on the morning of May 4th, 2026 with her trusted aide Annette Ramsey and close friend and assistant Tracy Thompson by her side.
Rosemary was born 20 June 1935 in White Plains, Westchester County, New York to James Edward Walters and Edith Eileen Walters, née Hiler. She was the third of four children, Joan and James were the oldest and have predeceased her, Rosemary’s younger brother, William ‘Bill’ Walters, resides in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Rosemary was a devout Catholic and a Mass was held for her on Wednesday morning, 13th May 2026, at Church of the Precious Blood by Father Michael in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey. Rosemary was buried beside her sister Joan, parents James and Edith and her Grandmother Rosanna Forrest Walters in the Walters Family Plot at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, White Plains, New York. Family and friends were in attendance for both events.
Rosemary had a favorite story she loved to tell about having been in the Girl Scouts as a child in Rye, NY where her Girl Scouts den mother was none other than Margaret Colgate Egan whom her father happened to perform security detail for when not on duty with the Rye Police. The story goes something like this…
One summer Mrs. Eagan volunteered as den mother for the Rye girls troop and immediately had an impact on the girls when she found out none of them knew how to sail. This made no sense to Mrs. Eagan since the beach was just a few steps away from where the Girl Scouts met, so she purchased two boats for the girls and hired a skipper to train them. Rosemary loved the water and took to sailing as if it was second nature and was happy to have had the opportunity Mrs. Eagan provided for them. But, she would go on, the real highlight of having Mrs. Eagan as den mother were the forays into Manhattan for adventures to museums, sailing events and general fun in the city. On one occasion Mrs. Eagan noticed the girls were hungry and called her friend Toots Shor for a table at none other than his famous Toots Shor’s Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, the girls could not believe their good fortune and sat at a table for twelve with the full compliment of silverware and Toots alongside them for the meal. It is a luncheon she never forgot.
Rosemary first came to Sea Bright, New Jersey in the Summer of 1961, having accepted a job teaching elementary students at the River Street School, now a part of the Red Bank Public School system. Rosemary moved from Syracuse, New York where she had been living near her brother James, her starting salary with the River Street School was $5200.
Rosemary loved and lived in Sea Bright into the late 1980s slowly moving up in the ranks of the local educational system while advocating for teachers’ rights which lead to her joining the Tinton Falls Education Association, TTEA, and becoming its president in the late 1970s. This advocacy lead Rosemary on to the negotiating team and eventually to a negotiating job with the Michigan Education Association, MEA, and National Education Association, NEA, which she accepted. The new position required her to relocate to Michigan where she continued to teach elementary school while working also as a negotiator for the MEA and NEA.
Rosemary retired and returned to Sea Bright in 1996 and eventually moved to the Channel Club in Monmouth Beach where she enjoyed a view of lower Manhattan from her balcony. Rosemary continued to socialize with new and old friends up until the time of her death.
Rosemary is survived by her brother Bill Walters and many nieces and nephews and their families. May God Bless Rosemary and all who knew and loved her.
The family thanks all who attended her services at the Church of the Precious Blood, Monmouth Beach, NJ and Mt. Calvary Cemetery, White Plains, NY. Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank, NJ was entrusted with the arrangements.
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