Rosemary Louise Walters died peacefully at home May 4, 2026, with her trusted aide Annette Ramsey and close friend and assistant Tracy Thompson by her side.
Rosemary was born June 20, 1935, in White Plains, 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 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 May 13, 2026, at Church of the Precious Blood in Monmouth Beach. Rosemary was buried beside her sister Joan, parents James and Edith and her grandmother Rosanna Forrest Walters in the Walters Family Plot at Calvary Cemetery in White Plains. Family and friends attended both events.
Rosemary grew up in Rye, New York; her father worked for the Rye Police Department. As a Girl Scout, Rosemary’s den mother was Margaret Colgate Eagan (a member of the family that founded Colgate-Palmolive), whom her father performed security for when not on duty. Rosemary loved to share the story of the summer Mrs. Eagan volunteered as den mother 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 were second nature. But, the real highlight of having Mrs. Eagan as den mother was 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 his famous restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. The girls could not believe their good fortune and sat at a table for 12 with the full complement of silverware and Toots alongside them for the meal. It was a luncheon she never forgot.
Rosemary first came to Sea Bright 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 $5,200.
Rosemary 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 led to her joining the Tinton Falls Education Association and becoming its president in the late 1970s. She joined the negotiating team and eventually got a job with the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association. The new position required her to relocate to Michigan, where she continued to teach elementary school while working as a negotiator.
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 both new and old friends until her death.
She is survived by her brother Bill and many nieces and nephews and their families.
The article originally appeared in the May 21 – 27, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
