Cornerstone No. 189, page 20
Rosemary Green † 21.10.2017
Having been a member of the Scots Kirk for 18 years, I knew Rosemary from
there and also from the English Library in Vevey, where we were both librarians.
Although there was a quite a big age gap between
us, Rosemary always managed to recommend a
good book for me, always a librarian’s hardest job,
to fit the book to the person. I was going through
a very difficult time and Rosemary elected to
become my ‘surrogate mum’ as she knew I had
recently lost my own mother. I gave her computer
lessons, and my son Philip was technical support,
and many lovely meals were shared at her kitchen
table in Ouchy, or in local restaurants. As a treat I
took her out in my son’s Smart and then his Audi
TT, and she loved every moment, ever young at
heart. She taught me how to make the best soups,
50g of butter, 500gm of vegetables, and 500 ml of
stock, a foolproof recipe ! When Rosemary moved
to the Bristol Residence in Territet, I was very
pleased, not only to know that she would be well
looked after in her autumn years, but also because
I would see more of her and could invite her to eat with me and with other
friends at our restaurant in Territet. She was an avid reader and until Easter this
year, I was still ordering books for her from Amazon. Rosemary was a past
headmistress of Roedean South Africa, and as we were both teachers, we
always had good stories to tell each other. She married Roger Green, the love
of her life, in her forties and enjoyed a happy and fulfilling marriage. Rosemary
always spoke of Roger so lovingly, proof that it doesn’t matter when you marry,
but whom, and she was so very sad when he died from cancer. I have
wonderful memories of Rosemary’s kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness,
sense of humour, and I could not have had a better friend. May she rest in
peace.
Lyn Baerfuss