CLEWS, DR. ROSEMARY ARROWSMITH - Rosemary passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Wednesday April 18th, 2012 at her home in Fredericton. Rosemary was born on May 23rd, 1944 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan where her mother Judith Cox had married a British airman Kenneth Cox stationed there during World War Two. Rosemary and Judith followed Kenneth back to York, England in 1946. They were later joined by Rosemary’s maternal grandparents, Alfred and Rose Arrowsmith. Two sisters Caroline and Patricia were born in 1949 and 1953 respectively. Alfred and Rose were tremendously important to Rosemary. They had come from England as pioneer settlers in Saskatchewan. They gave her tremendous pride in both her English and Canadian heritages. Alfred gave her a lifelong passion for learning and books. Rose gave her practical lessons in concern and support for others. At the age of 11 Rosemary gained a scholarship for a private boarding school in the market town of Uttoxeter in the British Midlands. Following these studies Rosemary read Sociology at the University of Birmingham. She married the late Reginald Clews and began a career as a social worker. Despite the traditional gender roles of 1980’s Britain, and an inhospitable environment for women in management, Rosemary moved into social work management. She had two children, Aaron (Taylor) in 1980 and Miriam (Taylor) in 1984. She also found time to collect not one but three master's degrees – in Deviance, Social Work and Management. She always maintained links with Canada through her mother’s sister Ruth Wilson-Bigg who lived in the Prairies of Saskatchewan and with whom she was extremely close. In 1993, Rosemary fulfilled a lifelong dream when she returned to her native Saskatchewan with her two children and ageing mother. There she began a new career as a professor of social work at the University of Regina’s Saskatoon campus. She began a distance PhD with Memorial University of St. John’s, Newfoundland. In 1996, she moved her family to Fredericton where she began teaching at St. Thomas University. She completed her PhD and became a full professor. She became Assistant Vice-President Research at St. Thomas University in 2002. In doing so she became the first woman in St. Thomas's history to have President in her work title. Her work in this position greatly increased the University's profile and reputation in regards to research. Rosemary was pivotal in helping the University obtain its first three Canada Research Chairs. In her own work as a researcher she made links with Universities around the world and published extensively. Rosemary’s formal career ended in 2009. Although the final chapter of her life, her retirement, was cut so unfairly short as with everything in her life it was lived to its fullest. Rosemary continued to pursue her passions for travel, reading and the arts. In 2011 she was tremendously proud when she and her Aunt Ruth traveled to Middlesbrough, England for the ceremonies for the centenary of the city’s famous transporter bridge which had been built by her great-grandfather Joseph McLauchlan. She enjoyed visits to Budapest, Hungary, where her son Aaron lives. Rosemary belonged to numerous book groups, enjoyed attending the Fredericton Monday night film series and watching the Metropolitan Opera at the cinema in Fredericton. Rosemary leaves behind a legacy in terms of her work. She will be deeply missed by her two children, her Aunt Ruth, as well as her many dear friends.
A memorial service will be held this Thursday at 2:30PM in the St. Thomas chapel. Commemorations can sent via email to rememberingrosemary@gmail.com. Donations are welcome in the form of Children’s books to the Fredericton library or contributions to The Literacy coalition of New Brunswick (www.nb.literacy.ca)