Rosemary Patricia Willson

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Birth: Mar. 10, 1921 Michigan, USA

Death: Jan. 25, 2010 Brentwood Los Angeles County California, USA

Rosemary Willson, the widow of the late Meredith Willson, died peacefully at her home on January 25, 2010. She resided at 1750 Westridge Road in the Mandeville Canyon section of the Brentwood district of Los Angeles, California at the time of her death.

Rosemary Patricia Sullivan moved from her childhood home in Michigan to Los Angeles and worked for many years as a secretary and executive assistant in the entertainment industry.

Rosemary and Meredith were married on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1968 and she was his constant companion and support until his death in 1984.

Mr. Willson, who is best known for his Broadway musicals "Meredith Willson's the Music Man" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," first gained national prominence as the West Coast Musical Director of the NBC radio network in the 1930s and was a regular on the "Burns and Allen" radio show and "The Big Show."

After Mr. Willson's death in 1984, Rosemary dedicated herself to the preservation of his musical and stage works and to many community and philanthropic activities. She was on the Board of Directors of the John Douglas French Alzheimer Foundation and an active supporter of the Hospitaller Foundation of California, Inc., St. Jude's Children's Hospital and many other charitable organizations.

She provided major funding for The Music Man Square project in Mason City, Iowa, Mr. Willson's home town, and for the Meredith Willson Residence Hall, the first student residence hall at The Juilliard School in New York. The Rosemary and Meredith Willson Theater was dedicated at Juilliard this past October to honor Rosemary's support. She also established The Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program to provide free weekly concerts for patients, staff, and visitors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and funded scholarships for young musicians at Pepperdine University, the University of Iowa, and the Idyllwild Arts Academy.

A memorial mass and interment is planned for 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 West Slauson Avenue, Culver City. Published in the Los Angeles Times from January 27 to January 31, 2010.

Family links:

Spouse:

• Meredith Willson (1902 - 1984)

Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery Culver City Los Angeles County California, USA