Rosemary D. White

On Sunday August 9, 2020, Rosemary D. White, passed away at the age of 82. Rosemary Lee Duncker was born on November 13, 1937 as the second of three children. Her mother was Dorothy Marie Cousler and father Harry Edgar Duncker of York Pennsylvania. She attended York Catholic High School and went on to become a Registered Nurse after graduating from St. Agnes School of Nursing in Baltimore, MD. Upon graduating in 1958 she worked at the York Hospital while engaged to Marine First Lieutenant Francis V. White, Jr. In 1959, Rosemary and Frank were married and from 1960 to 1964 their family grew with the addition of their three children Kathleen Marie, Stephen Francis, and Andrea Jeanette. As the wife of a Marine Corps Officer, Rosemary supported her husband and raised their children as the family moved around from duty station to duty station. With more than fourteen different moves that spanned from Petersburg, VA to New York, NY and from Madrid Spain to Burke, VA and Jacksonville, NC with various different homes in Pennsylvania, she was able to pack up the family and make a new home wherever they needed to be. During the early to mid 1960’s she often was called upon to raise her children on her own as her husband was called to sea duty or to war in Vietnam. In the early 1970’s she made a home for the family in the heart of Madrid Spain which was at the time still under the fascist rule of Francisco Franco. And in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s she once again took on the task of taking care of the family on her own while Frank deployed multiple times out of Camp Lejeune, NC aboard ship for 6 months at a time. Throughout her lifetime she was the glue that held the family together, whether they were all physically in the same location or separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. Even after the death of her husband in October of last year, and still suffering from advanced arthritis and congestive heart failure, she rallied so that she could ensure the family had a truly marvelous final holiday season together. In retirement, Rosemary discovered her love of needlework and beading. Whether she was knitting, cross-stitching, smocking, quilting, or designing and creating beaded jewelry, her talent for color and composition was evident in everything she touched. She met some of her dearest friends through her quilting community and her generosity in supporting charitable quilting projects was well known. However, though she had many adventures and wonderful times during her life and cherished watching her children grow into independent adults, she would tell you that the two most meaningful events were meeting her husband Frank and being married to him for 60 years, and holding her newborn grandson Alex for the first time. Rosemary is survived by her older sister Petty and younger brother Mike, her three children Kathleen, Stephen, and Andrea, her son-in-law Brian, and her grandson Alex and his fiancée Britany. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the family is planning on a private ceremony of interment at Quantico National Cemetery.

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Rosemary D. White

August 9, 2020