Age 81, died Monday, May 4, 2015 after enjoying a last bowl of ice cream at her home. She was born June 4, 1933 in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Alexander & Jennie (Harper) Ewen. Rosemary was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. On November 27, 1965, she married James V. Kemmish, and he preceded her in death on February 3, 2014.
Survivors include a daughter, Corrine Kemmish of Ann Arbor; three sons, Kenneth of Southfield, Kyle of Florida, and Lee (Erin) of Livonia; five grandchildren, Kayleigh, Ashton, Briana, Rylee, and Baylee; a nephew, Kevin Schaeffer and a sister-in-law Coralys (Corky) Stamp of Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter-in-law, Katherine, a sister, Ellen Schaefer, a brother-in-law, Howard Schaeffer, a niece, Nancy (Schaeffer) Walker, a niece Mary Stamp, and a brother-in-law, William (Bill) Stamp
As a young girl Rosemary (“Rosie”) and her older sister Ellen-Corrine enjoyed day-long trips from their home in the Grand River and Fenkell area of Detroit, to then Howell Beach, now Howell City Park in Howell. As a young woman Rosie worked at the Hudson’s store in downtown Detroit, when Trolley Cars still travelled along Woodward Ave., and she participated in the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The emerging sounds of Rock n’ Roll passed Rosie by:her tastes ran more toward Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”, than Elvis’ “All Shook Up”. Although she did not play an instrument, Rosie could carry a tune and enjoyed singing along to AM radio stations like CKLW, or WKNR (“Keener”), with her children on warm summer drives to/from Portage Lake/Portage Yachting Club in Pinckney.
Rosie attended Wayne State University and worked at Ford Motor Company in Administration,where she met her future husband Jim. Leaving the workplace to raise her family, the family lived in Garden City, Lathrup Village, Brighton, and Romeo, before settling in Chelsea where theKemmish family has lived for more than 30 years. Rosie returned to the workplace working in the Mathematics department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, before retiring. Rosie’s interests were wide and diverse: she was an accomplished seamstress making everything from clothing to curtains for her home, she enjoyed antiques, and on many occasions would strip and re-varnish antique wooden furniture restoring it to like-new condition. Rosie wasa voracious reader: it was not uncommon for her to be reading several books simultaneously and she enjoyed participating in community book clubs.
A committal service will be held at Zion Lutheran Memorial Gardens in Ann Arbor. Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Liberty St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Arrangements by Cole Funeral Chapel, Chelsea.