Rosemary Phyllis Looney: 1926-2021

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Rosemary Phyllis Looney after a brief illness. She was born in Norwood, Massachusetts, on December 20, 1926, and passed at home in Carpinteria on June 8, 2021. 

She is survived by her daughters Sharyn Plunkett (Richard) and Sheryl Ford of Carpinteria, and Cynthia Saunders (Carl) of Milton, Massachusetts; granddaughter Kerri Haer (Andy) of Brunswick, Maine; grandson Shawn Saunders (Amy) of Westwood, Massachusetts; three great granddaughters, two nieces and a nephew, all of Massachusetts. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Bernard (Bernie), her parents Rose and Johnnie Madigan, and her sister Gloria Norton.

Rosemary loved her family, friends and all the pets she had during her lifetime. She truly loved every part of her life. Rosemary was very much involved in her children’s lives; she was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and travelled with the children on their CYO trips. She was an avid reader and loved playing Scrabble, Bridge and Mahjong. She was physically active and enjoyed hiking in the beautiful mountains of Vermont, horseback riding, tennis, and golf, as well as being a skeet shooter, avid walker, and cross-country skier. Rosemary spent most of her life on the East Coast working as a nurse before moving to the Santa Barbara area in 2000. 

Bernie and Rosemary travelled the country by RV and trekked to Ireland to visit both sides of their families in Cork County. Rosemary took trips to Spain, Portugal, Australia, and Tasmania with her best friend in California, Rosemary Hester. 

Rosemary was a devout Catholic and loved attending Mass with her daughters. She volunteered at HELP in Carpinteria, an organization that assists residents with transportation to doctors’ appointments and errands, as a dispatcher.

Services will be held in Massachusetts at a future date. Donations in her memory would be welcome at The Braille Institute of Santa Barbara or a charitable organization of your choice.