Obituaries » Mrs. Rosemary Cavanaugh
Mrs. Rosemary Cavanaugh
September 13, 1934 - May 4, 2015
Service Date: May 8, 2015
Rosemary Cavanaugh, 80, of Ankeny, IA died unexpectedly on May 4th, 2015.
Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 7 at Ankeny Memorial Chapel (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd). A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 8 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, with burial to follow at Ankeny Memorial Gardens.
Rosemary was born on September 13, 1934 to Harry and Mabel Jackson of Madrid, IA. She attended Madrid Schools, and graduated from Drake University in 1956 with a degree in Music Education. Rosemary taught music at Grand Junction and Woodward before marrying Charles Cavanaugh of Madrid in 1958. The couple moved to Ankeny in 1962. She began teaching music in the Ankeny School System in 1964, retiring from teaching in 1991.
Rosemary’s life revolved around music, her family and friends she made through the Perky Penguins. She had a gift for remembering nearly every music student she taught through the years, often identifying them by the instrument they played before she thought of their name. Over the years she enjoyed playing her trumpet with various musical groups, including the Des Moines Community Orchestra. She was involved with the music ministry at her church, and took special pride in sharing her love of music with her family and friends through mini concerts and impromptu recitals whenever possible.
She is survived by her husband, Charles of Ankeny; son Michael and his wife Dawn of Ankeny; granddaughter Nicole of Ankeny and grandson Marcus of San Francisco. She is also survived by her brother and his wife, Reverend Harvey and Shirley Jackson of Lake Park, ND. Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents.