Published: April 25, 2007 10:48 am            

Rosemary Corman Davis

San Marcos — Rosemary Corman Davis, age 82, of San Marcos, passed away April 20, 2007 at the Deer Creek Rehabilitation Center in Wimberley.

Rosemary was born Dec. 12, 1924 in Roswell, N.M. to Richard William Corman II and Hessie Vest Corman. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Josephine Marion of Amado, Ariz.

She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Dr. Richard Davis of San Marcos; two sisters, Betty Beach of Las Cruces, N.M. and Kathryn Robinson and husband Jim of Smithfield, Texas; one brother, Richard William Corman III and his wife Marion of Carlsbad, N.M.; three nephews, Richard James Calicoat and his wife Brenda and John Corman and his wife Marion, all of Carlsbad, N.M., and Donald Michael Marion and his wife, Sharina of Amado, Ariz.; and five nieces, Leslie Ann Sexton and her husband Ronald of Oklahoma City, Okla., Mary Lynn Parrish and her husband Abby of Clovis, N.M., Gina Bruns of Smithfield, Texas, Linda Knight and her husband Keith of Rockwall, Texas, and Nancy Barnes of Gilbert, Ariz. She is also survived by nine great-nieces and ten great-nephews and the children of some of these.

In 1939, together with her mother, Hessie Rogers, and her stepfather, A.C. “Chet” Rogers, Rosemary moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where she graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1942. She then studied for one year at New Mexico State University and another year at the University of New Mexico. Following this, she transferred to the University of Texas in Austin, where she earned a B.A. degree in Bacteriology and graduated with honors in 1947. Then, after working for 13 years as a bacteriologist and lab technician at the Hobbs Medical Clinic in Hobbs, N.M., she returned to the University of Texas, and in 1965 received a B.S. degree in Pharmacy.

In her career as a Registered Pharmacist, Rosemary worked at Brackenridge Hospital Pharmacy, Austin, 1967-1971; Thompson’s Pharmacy, San Marcos, 1971-1980; H.E.B. Pharmacy, San Marcos, 1980-1982; Ace Drug Marts, Austin, 1982-1986; and Strickland Pharmacy, Blanco, Texas, 1987-1989. In addition, during the 1980s Rosemary had her own business, Beauty for All Seasons, in which she worked as a Color Consultant and took orders for cosmetics and other beauty products. She retired in 1989.

During her working years, Rosemary belonged to and held offices in several professional societies, including the Texas Pharmaceutical Association and the South Central Texas Pharmacy Association. She also served, 1965-1989, as a delegate to all of Texas Pharmaceutical Association’s annual state conventions. And, among other awards, she was elected in 1972 to the Texas Academy of Pharmacy, and remained a member until the Academy was discontinued in 1982. Also, in 1991, she was named the Outstanding Retired Pharmacist of the Year.

Rosemary found time as well to be active in San Marcos civic affairs. She worked to get a leash law passed, served from 2002 to 2005 on the Advisory Board at the San Marcos Animal Shelter and helped to develop several ordinances on animal care. She was also a member of the San Marcos Citizens’ Police Academy and of Friends of the Library; and besides serving as co-chair of the Westover Neighborhood Association and representing it regularly at the city-wide Neighborhood Council, she participated in other local activities when time permitted.

But Rosemary always spent much time in individual pursuits. In earlier years, her always-inquiring mind and keen interest in the unusual led her to delve into matters that intrigued her, such as parapsychology, astrology and the theory of reincarnation. More recently, since she loved to talk and was a born speaker and story-teller, she enjoyed greatly her years in the public speaking society, San Marcos Toastmasters Club.

Rosemary was a very warm, alive and vibrant person. She loved life and loved people. Until her eyesight began to fail, she was a voracious reader and expert seamstress. Like her husband, she was a member of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Marcos, where in the 1970s they endowed the Epiphany window. Both were avid genealogical researchers and they traveled together in the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

Her one great love was Belly Dancing. This affinity began when she completed a beginner’s class in the art taught by the celebrated Maria Amaya in Austin. And after Rosemary continued through two intermediate and four advanced classes, she became one of Amaya’s star pupils. It was then that Rosemary, aged 56 to 60, had the joy of dancing in a series of Amaya’s glittering shows in Austin, at the Villa Capri, Marriott, Hilton and other big hotels and also in some of the larger, more elegant discos. In 1982 and 1983 she also taught belly dancing classes of her own in Jowers Center, under Texas State University’s Leisure Learning Program. But unhappily, she developed rheumatoid arthritis which advanced quickly and forced her to give up dancing.

Dr. Richard Davis and Rosemary’s family wish to thank the loving nurses, therapists, social workers and all others, staff and aides, at Deer Creek of Wimberley and to the same wonderful people of Hope Hospice of New Braunfels, for the love, dignity and comfort which they unfailingly provided to Rosemary from Dec. 3 to April 20, 2007. We wish also to express our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Steven Norwood and Dr. Dieter Martin.

In lieu of flowers, donations in the name of Rosemary Davis may be made to The Arthritis Foundation, 3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 1230, Houston, Texas 77098-3926; Deer Creek of Wimberley, 555 Ranch Road 3237, Wimberley, Texas 78676; Hope Hospice, 611 N. Walnut Ave., New Braunfels, Texas 78130; or your favorite charity.

A memorial service is being planned for some time in the first week in May, and will be announced in the Daily Record.

Arrangements are under the care and guidance of Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche, San Marcos, Texas 78666, 353-4311.

        

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