Rosemary Parkhurst Troy Pearsall Hoak

1913 ~ 2006

Rosemary Hoak passed away gently on July 19 at her residence in a retirement community in Spokane. She was 93 years of age. Her beauty in youth continued to mature through her life into a great beauty of spirit, sweetness of disposition, and helpfulness to her family and friends.

Rosemary was born in Startup May 10, 1913, the daughter of Ethel Pearl Bearse and Fred Eugene Parkhurst. She had two sisters, Alice (Dewey), Emily (Kincaid), and a brother, Eugene. She grew up in Port Orchard where her parents are listed as pioneers, and married Floyd Kenneth Troy there May 30, 1931, shortly after graduating from South Kitsap High School. They had three children, Mary Louise (McJunkin), Kathleen Pearl (Mathews), and Eugene Fredric Troy. Floyd was a surveyor for the Washington State Department of Highways at the time of their marriage. In 1942 Rosemary and Floyd moved to Poulsbo, where they operated a creamery, frozen food locker plant and custom meatcutting business for nearly 20 years. After selling that business, Floyd once again worked as a surveyor for the Washington State Department of Highways. They traveled and camped at many scenic National Parks in the Western U.S. and Canada. Floyd passed away in 1968 at the untimely age of 61, just 3 weeks short of his retirement.

Rosemary married Robert Ivan Pearsall in 1975, and they lived in Port Orchard until his death in 1980. Then she married Harold Hoak, the widower of her lifelong friend Carrie Peak. Rosemary and Harold had a happy life together until he died at age 91 in February 2002. They were "snowbirds," spending their summers in Moses Lake and their winters at their home in Desert Hot Springs, Calif.

Rosemary was proudly a lifelong resident of Washington state, and especially loved Kitsap County in the Puget Sound area where she spent most of her life. She enjoyed swimming, and until her later years took a daily dip in the chilly waters of the Sound. She was also a long-time expert in working jigsaw puzzles. Another of her favorite activities throughout her life was to visit nearby Mount Rainier.

Rosemary always enjoyed traveling and seeing new things, and had visited many of the states. She ventured abroad to Alaska, Hawaii, and several countries including Panama, Germany and Australia. If she had a regret in her life, it was that she didn't travel even more.

She enjoyed good health for almost all of her life, which she attributed to "staying away from doctors and not thinking about being sick." To her, health was "just a matter of mind." She was well known for her calm and nearly imperturbable cheeriness and good disposition. She loved and was loved as deeply by her son-in-law and daughter-in-law as by her own children and step-children. Rosemary was simply a joy to be around, always thinking of others instead of herself. She was a homemaker and generous caregiver all of her long life, and prided herself on her independence, caring for others and keeping up a home until the very end.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents, sister Alice, brother Eugene, husbands Floyd, Robert and Harold, her daughter Mary Lou, and step-son Howard Hoak.

Rosemary is survived by her sister Emily Kincaid of Spokane; daughter Katie Mathews and her husband Max of Nacogdoches, Texas; son Gene Troy and his wife Leveda of Afton, Wyo.; son-in-law Tom McJunkin and his wife Donna of Red Bluff, Calif.; step-son Robert Hoak of Pasco; step-daughters Carolyn Winter and her husband Gerry of Moses Lake; Gladys Alfano and her husband Mike of Spokane; 17 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. She was looking forward to the birth of two additional great-grandchildren. Rosemary is also survived by Frances Roberts of Bainbridge Island and Regina & Bill Oien of Poulsbo who are friends of over 60 years, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins who dearly loved her.

While not an active church member in later years, Rosemary had a quiet but firm testimony of her heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the promise of the resurrection. She enjoyed reading the Bible daily and listening to hymns and especially loved the song, "How Great Thou Art."

Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by services at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 26 at Rill's Life Tribute Center in Port Orchard with burial following in Sunset Lane Memorial Park where she will be interred next to her first husband Floyd.