Rosemary A. Healey

Our sweet and fun-loving mother and grandmother, Rosemary Healey, peacefully passed away in her sleep February 26, 2019 in Manhattan, Montana. She was 93 years old. Born on May 17, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was the fourth daughter of John and Elizabeth (Gordon) Alaria.

Rosemary attended Godwin High School in Grand Rapids and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. She taught physical education in Otsego, MI and was passionate about ensuring girls had access to athletic activities. On June 26, 1949 she and Leonard Healey were married at the Healey family Gun Lake cottage. They began their family in a house that Len built and had two children, Roger and Becky.

Rosemary and Len started a housing development south of Otsego, where she kept the books for the business. Over the years she also worked as a substitute teacher. Together the family explored much of the U.S. and once they were empty nesters, Len and Rosemary frequently traveled abroad. One of their greatest adventures was with a group of pilot couples, renting small planes to explore Australia and New Zealand. She even learned to land the plane as copilot to Len.

Athletic and competitive, Rosemary was a champion golfer. She was a top contender for 15 years straight at Ot-Well-Egen Country Club in Michigan, earning many trophies. When she and Len moved out west to be nearer to their children, they joined the Riverside Country Club and made numerous lifetime friends. They were active in the Bozeman community and started the Bozeman branch of the MT Brain Injury support group. They helped promote the development of Liberty Place, Inc., where son, Roger, is now a resident.

Rosemary was always very proud of her family. She is survived by her son Roger Healey; daughter Rebecca (Carl) Sheehan; and three grandchildren, Colleen Morris, Trevor Sheehan and Emily (Gilbert Gavigan) Sheehan; two great grandchildren, Lochlan Morris and Phoebe Gavigan; and one sister, Elizabeth (Orville) Parsons of Sarasota, Fl. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Healey, and her two sisters, Mae (Ralph) Vandewater and Trudy (James) Rhoades, both of Grand Rapids, MI.

Memorials in Rosemary’s name may be made to Liberty Place, Inc., PO Box 446, Whitehall, MT, online at libertyplace.org, or to the Montana Brain Injury Association, 1280 S. 3rd St. W. #4, Missoula, MT 59801.

A Celebration of Rosemary’s Life will be Monday, March 4th at 2 pm at Dahl Funeral & Cremation. Immediately following will be a gathering to share stories of her life over appetizers and beverages.