Rosemary Whitt

Rosemary Jo Whitt, 91, passed from this life into the arms of her Lord and Savior on December 28, 2021.

At the time of her passing, she was a resident of Wheatfields Senior Living Community. She was born

November 3, 1930, in East Liverpool, Ohio, to Claude W. and Mary Elizabeth Keys. She became the little

sister to four rowdy brothers.

Rosemary earned a B.A. from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, in 1952. She was known for her excellent

writing and organizational skills, which she employed for many years as a church secretary and as an

unofficial proofreader for her pastor. She worked for a time as a cooking demonstrator for a regional gas

company, and she ended her career working as a secretary at the local health department. She used her

genuine empathy to lead a bereavement support group and to volunteer with hospice, and she drove

miles delivering meals on wheels.

Rosemary loved music and playing the piano. She sang in her church choir and played in the handbell

choir for several years at First Baptist Church in Clovis, New Mexico. At the time of her death, she was a

member of Central Baptist Church in Clovis. She was an avid reader and needlepoint enthusiast. One of

her most beloved activities was attending yearly church conferences at Glorieta Baptist Conference

Center in Glorieta, New Mexico. Over the course of several summers, she earned a special secretarial

certification at Glorieta.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Claude W., George W., and Robert P.

Keys. Rosemary lost her beloved husband, Harold D. Whitt, Sr., in 1990, leaving her widowed for thirty-

one years.

Rosemary is survived by one son, Alyne Lewsader; two granddaughters, Danita and Danielle; at least one

great-grandchild; one brother, Thomas G. (Gail) Keys; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

Rosemary requested that any donations in her memory be made to the Baptist Children's Home, 2200 S.

Avenue I, Portales, New Mexico 88130 or to Wycliffe Bible Translators in Orlando, Florida.

Her friends wish to thank the many caregivers and medical professionals who were a part of Rosemary's care during her last years.