Guarded by Virgil, her faithful German Shepard dog, Rosemary Phillips died peacefully in her sleep on March 9, 2006, in her Boulder Creek home where she had lived since 1963. This was a mighty accomplishment for someone who nearly died of bulbar and spinal polio in 1951, and whose doctors predicted that she would live a very short life. She survived polio but lost the use of her arms and legs and most of her breathing capacity. Rosemary fought back, regained the use of her legs and was honored in 1957 as National Polio Mother of the Year. Polio was the beginning of her second life.
Her first life began in Lebanon, Oregon, July 30, 1923. She moved to Santa Cruz in 1929 when her pastor father, VK Allison was called with her mother Lora, to preach at the Santa Cruz Christian Church. During these early years, Rosemary loved music and played the piano and organ for church services.
She graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1941 and married her childhood sweetheart, David W. Phillips. After marriage during WWII, the couple lived in King City, California, where Rosemary volunteered with the USO, dancing with troops before they were shipped off to war and rolling bandages for the Red Cross. David was a military pilot and became a pilot for United Airlines. They lived in Los Gatos, CA after the war. Hospital bills for the polio treatments resulted in the loss of their Los Gatos home. After two years in physical rehabilitation, in Long Beach, the family was reunited and they were able to move into a home in Monte Sereno, CA where they lived until 1965.
Rosemary enjoyed growing up in Santa Cruz and loved her older brother, Eugene Allison's antics on his motorcycle before he became a pilot in the Navy. She grieved throughout WWII, praying for her brother who had contracted polio and was held on Corregidor in the Philippines, as a prisoner of war. Her brother returned from the war on a stretcher and began a long rehabilitation program, unknowingly becoming a role model for Rosemary, when in 1951, she and each of her three children contracted polio. Eugene and Rosemary remained very close until his death in 1976. Eugene had declined returning to a respirator, preferring "life on his terms", as he died peacefully at home with his family. The manner in which her brother handled his post polio condition inspired Rosemary to fight obstacles and live long enough to bury her father in 1986 and her mother in 1994. Rosemary vigorously resisted seeing doctors, being hospitalized and minimized the amount of hospital equipment in her home, preferring to act as normal as possible despite tremendous physical handicaps and severe pain.
Her beloved husband divorced her after nearly 40 years of marriage and she continued to live on her ranch property in Boulder Creek, alone, except for the many friends who came to visit, her daytime caregivers, and her faithful dogs that guarded her, and gave her an abundance of unconditional love. Her ex-husband preceded her in death on March 6, 1993.
(David Wilmer Phillips (22 APR 1922 - 6 MAR 1993)
During her many years living at her Flying Horse Ranch in Boulder Creek, Rosemary learned to use the citizens band radio and was able to relay emergency messages to the Boulder Creek Fire Department and various other first response agencies. She was well known for her love of nature, wild animals, her horses, and the redwood trees that she said helped her breathe and kept her alive. During the 1970's many friends remember her pet in-door squirrel, Bunky, who guarded her much as her dogs did and she felt she had her own live burglar alarm system. She was very well known for her pet peacocks. She shared beautiful feathers with many local artisans. Rosemary employed many local craftsmen through the years to modify various rooms to accommodate her increasing disabilities. She greeted people with a broad smile and was known for wearing her favorite color, red. Her love of cooking and baking remained strong as she directed her caregivers and family members to bake bread, canning pickles and follow recipes from her collection of cookbooks passed along from her mother.
Rosemary is survived by her son David Eugene (Gene) Phillips, of Scotts Valley, son Tom Phillips of Boulder Creek, and daughter Loni Armstrong of Bend, Oregon. She is survived by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Her first life began in Lebanon, Oregon, July 30, 1923. She moved to Santa Cruz in 1929 when her pastor father, VK Allison was called with her mother Lora, to preach at the Santa Cruz Christian Church. During these early years, Rosemary loved music and played the piano and organ for church services.
She graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1941 and married her childhood sweetheart, David W. Phillips. After marriage during WWII, the couple lived in King City, California, where Rosemary volunteered with the USO, dancing with troops before they were shipped off to war and rolling bandages for the Red Cross. David was a military pilot and became a pilot for United Airlines. They lived in Los Gatos, CA after the war. Hospital bills for the polio treatments resulted in the loss of their Los Gatos home. After two years in physical rehabilitation, in Long Beach, the family was reunited and they were able to move into a home in Monte Sereno, CA where they lived until 1965.
Rosemary enjoyed growing up in Santa Cruz and loved her older brother, Eugene Allison's antics on his motorcycle before he became a pilot in the Navy. She grieved throughout WWII, praying for her brother who had contracted polio and was held on Corregidor in the Philippines, as a prisoner of war. Her brother returned from the war on a stretcher and began a long rehabilitation program, unknowingly becoming a role model for Rosemary, when in 1951, she and each of her three children contracted polio. Eugene and Rosemary remained very close until his death in 1976. Eugene had declined returning to a respirator, preferring "life on his terms", as he died peacefully at home with his family. The manner in which her brother handled his post polio condition inspired Rosemary to fight obstacles and live long enough to bury her father in 1986 and her mother in 1994. Rosemary vigorously resisted seeing doctors, being hospitalized and minimized the amount of hospital equipment in her home, preferring to act as normal as possible despite tremendous physical handicaps and severe pain.
Her beloved husband divorced her after nearly 40 years of marriage and she continued to live on her ranch property in Boulder Creek, alone, except for the many friends who came to visit, her daytime caregivers, and her faithful dogs that guarded her, and gave her an abundance of unconditional love. Her ex-husband preceded her in death on March 6, 1993.
(David Wilmer Phillips (22 APR 1922 - 6 MAR 1993)
During her many years living at her Flying Horse Ranch in Boulder Creek, Rosemary learned to use the citizens band radio and was able to relay emergency messages to the Boulder Creek Fire Department and various other first response agencies. She was well known for her love of nature, wild animals, her horses, and the redwood trees that she said helped her breathe and kept her alive. During the 1970's many friends remember her pet in-door squirrel, Bunky, who guarded her much as her dogs did and she felt she had her own live burglar alarm system. She was very well known for her pet peacocks. She shared beautiful feathers with many local artisans. Rosemary employed many local craftsmen through the years to modify various rooms to accommodate her increasing disabilities. She greeted people with a broad smile and was known for wearing her favorite color, red. Her love of cooking and baking remained strong as she directed her caregivers and family members to bake bread, canning pickles and follow recipes from her collection of cookbooks passed along from her mother.
Rosemary is survived by her son David Eugene (Gene) Phillips, of Scotts Valley, son Tom Phillips of Boulder Creek, and daughter Loni Armstrong of Bend, Oregon. She is survived by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Guarded by Virgil, her faithful German Shepard dog, Rosemary Phillips died peacefully in her sleep on March 9, 2006, in her Boulder Creek home where she had lived since 1963. This was a mighty accomplishment for someone who nearly died of bulbar and spinal polio in 1951, and whose doctors predicted that she would live a very short life. She survived polio but lost the use of her arms and legs and most of her breathing capacity. Rosemary fought back, regained the use of her legs and was honored in 1957 as National Polio Mother of the Year. Polio was the beginning of her second life.
Her first life began in Lebanon, Oregon, July 30, 1923. She moved to Santa Cruz in 1929 when her pastor father, VK Allison was called with her mother Lora, to preach at the Santa Cruz Christian Church. During these early years, Rosemary loved music and played the piano and organ for church services.
She graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1941 and married her childhood sweetheart, David W. Phillips. After marriage during WWII, the couple lived in King City, California, where Rosemary volunteered with the USO, dancing with troops before they were shipped off to war and rolling bandages for the Red Cross. David was a military pilot and became a pilot for United Airlines. They lived in Los Gatos, CA after the war. Hospital bills for the polio treatments resulted in the loss of their Los Gatos home. After two years in physical rehabilitation, in Long Beach, the family was reunited and they were able to move into a home in Monte Sereno, CA where they lived until 1965.
Rosemary enjoyed growing up in Santa Cruz and loved her older brother, Eugene Allison's antics on his motorcycle before he became a pilot in the Navy. She grieved throughout WWII, praying for her brother who had contracted polio and was held on Corregidor in the Philippines, as a prisoner of war. Her brother returned from the war on a stretcher and began a long rehabilitation program, unknowingly becoming a role model for Rosemary, when in 1951, she and each of her three children contracted polio. Eugene and Rosemary remained very close until his death in 1976. Eugene had declined returning to a respirator, preferring "life on his terms", as he died peacefully at home with his family. The manner in which her brother handled his post polio condition inspired Rosemary to fight obstacles and live long enough to bury her father in 1986 and her mother in 1994. Rosemary vigorously resisted seeing doctors, being hospitalized and minimized the amount of hospital equipment in her home, preferring to act as normal as possible despite tremendous physical handicaps and severe pain.
Her beloved husband divorced her after nearly 40 years of marriage and she continued to live on her ranch property in Boulder Creek, alone, except for the many friends who came to visit, her daytime caregivers, and her faithful dogs that guarded her, and gave her an abundance of unconditional love. Her ex-husband preceded her in death on March 6, 1993.
(David Wilmer Phillips (22 APR 1922 - 6 MAR 1993)
During her many years living at her Flying Horse Ranch in Boulder Creek, Rosemary learned to use the citizens band radio and was able to relay emergency messages to the Boulder Creek Fire Department and various other first response agencies. She was well known for her love of nature, wild animals, her horses, and the redwood trees that she said helped her breathe and kept her alive. During the 1970's many friends remember her pet in-door squirrel, Bunky, who guarded her much as her dogs did and she felt she had her own live burglar alarm system. She was very well known for her pet peacocks. She shared beautiful feathers with many local artisans. Rosemary employed many local craftsmen through the years to modify various rooms to accommodate her increasing disabilities. She greeted people with a broad smile and was known for wearing her favorite color, red. Her love of cooking and baking remained strong as she directed her caregivers and family members to bake bread, canning pickles and follow recipes from her collection of cookbooks passed along from her mother.
Rosemary is survived by her son David Eugene (Gene) Phillips, of Scotts Valley, son Tom Phillips of Boulder Creek, and daughter Loni Armstrong of Bend, Oregon. She is survived by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Her first life began in Lebanon, Oregon, July 30, 1923. She moved to Santa Cruz in 1929 when her pastor father, VK Allison was called with her mother Lora, to preach at the Santa Cruz Christian Church. During these early years, Rosemary loved music and played the piano and organ for church services.
She graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1941 and married her childhood sweetheart, David W. Phillips. After marriage during WWII, the couple lived in King City, California, where Rosemary volunteered with the USO, dancing with troops before they were shipped off to war and rolling bandages for the Red Cross. David was a military pilot and became a pilot for United Airlines. They lived in Los Gatos, CA after the war. Hospital bills for the polio treatments resulted in the loss of their Los Gatos home. After two years in physical rehabilitation, in Long Beach, the family was reunited and they were able to move into a home in Monte Sereno, CA where they lived until 1965.
Rosemary enjoyed growing up in Santa Cruz and loved her older brother, Eugene Allison's antics on his motorcycle before he became a pilot in the Navy. She grieved throughout WWII, praying for her brother who had contracted polio and was held on Corregidor in the Philippines, as a prisoner of war. Her brother returned from the war on a stretcher and began a long rehabilitation program, unknowingly becoming a role model for Rosemary, when in 1951, she and each of her three children contracted polio. Eugene and Rosemary remained very close until his death in 1976. Eugene had declined returning to a respirator, preferring "life on his terms", as he died peacefully at home with his family. The manner in which her brother handled his post polio condition inspired Rosemary to fight obstacles and live long enough to bury her father in 1986 and her mother in 1994. Rosemary vigorously resisted seeing doctors, being hospitalized and minimized the amount of hospital equipment in her home, preferring to act as normal as possible despite tremendous physical handicaps and severe pain.
Her beloved husband divorced her after nearly 40 years of marriage and she continued to live on her ranch property in Boulder Creek, alone, except for the many friends who came to visit, her daytime caregivers, and her faithful dogs that guarded her, and gave her an abundance of unconditional love. Her ex-husband preceded her in death on March 6, 1993.
(David Wilmer Phillips (22 APR 1922 - 6 MAR 1993)
During her many years living at her Flying Horse Ranch in Boulder Creek, Rosemary learned to use the citizens band radio and was able to relay emergency messages to the Boulder Creek Fire Department and various other first response agencies. She was well known for her love of nature, wild animals, her horses, and the redwood trees that she said helped her breathe and kept her alive. During the 1970's many friends remember her pet in-door squirrel, Bunky, who guarded her much as her dogs did and she felt she had her own live burglar alarm system. She was very well known for her pet peacocks. She shared beautiful feathers with many local artisans. Rosemary employed many local craftsmen through the years to modify various rooms to accommodate her increasing disabilities. She greeted people with a broad smile and was known for wearing her favorite color, red. Her love of cooking and baking remained strong as she directed her caregivers and family members to bake bread, canning pickles and follow recipes from her collection of cookbooks passed along from her mother.
Rosemary is survived by her son David Eugene (Gene) Phillips, of Scotts Valley, son Tom Phillips of Boulder Creek, and daughter Loni Armstrong of Bend, Oregon. She is survived by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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