Surrounded by her family, Mary Rosebrook passed away peacefully on October 2, 2024, at her home in Arcata.

Born to John and Bridie Murphy in Chicago on Jan. 7, 1940, she was the first daughter and third born in a family that would eventually total eight children. Moving from the midwest to Lakeview, Oregon brought the Murphy clan closer to family. From age seven, Mary spent her childhood surrounded by her seven siblings; Bart, Pat, Tom, Joan, John, Richard and Una. Upon graduating from Lakeview High School in 1958, she received the Daly Fund Award, an academic scholarship for excellence. Furthering her studies at Oregon State University as an English major, she joined the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and was an active member of the Thespian Club.

Home for a summer break and working at the Circle J.M. Drive-In led to a meeting with Donald Rosebrook. Falling in love, they were married on November 28, 1959. Mary and Don went on to have four children and as Don worked for Safeway in Southern Oregon, they moved quite a few times. They spent several years in the Roseburg area, where Mary was a special education classroom aide. She was a wonderful vocalist and guitar player and as a member of a group known as the Happy Sounds, she shared that love of music with the community. She also was a master at solving puzzles, playing them daily. Her love of reading added to her amazing knowledge of vocabulary and continued to bring her joy later in life. 

Eventually, a move to California brought the family to Arcata in the 1970s, where they worked to establish a grocery store in the Westwood area. Mary was instrumental in the upbringing of her grandchildren who have many fond memories. Her love of the outdoors led the grandchildren on fishing adventures, harvesting potatoes, planting flowers, growing gardens, and looking for the elusive four-leaf clovers. A visit to Gobby’s house, a nickname given by her oldest grandson Shane, was filled with discovering treasures for arts and crafts, learning to knit and crochet, sewing blankets from old jeans, baking mini apple pies, making jam, and of course word puzzles. Her love of music continued and she would often hum a modern song to the kids until they guessed the title of her new favorite song. Her patience and ability to make each grandchild feel seen, heard, and special is without measure.  

The family would like to make a special thank you to Joan and Tim, Megan and Janette for their support while Mary was in the hospital and when she came home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Rosebrook, her daughter Shelly Goodrich, her sister Una Swanson, brother-in-law Bill, and her parents John and Bridie Murphy.

Mary leaves behind her children; Debra Rosebrook (Doug Davis), Don Rosebrook, and Susan Reeser (Bryan), and multiple grandchildren; Shane, Casey, and Cole Goodrich, Mae Mazza (Levi), Grace Rosebrook, and Brook and Jake Reeser. Her surviving siblings include; Bart Murphy, Pat (Sharon) Murphy, Tom Murphy, Joan (Tim) Pruhliere, John (Wanda) Murphy, and Richard (Kim) Murphy. Additionally, she leaves behind many wonderful nieces and nephews. 

Services will be held at St Mary’s Church, on October 26, at 11 a.m. A graveside service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata.

Donations can be made in place of flowers to the Bernard Daly Educational Fund, P.O. Box 328, Lakeview, OR 97630, or the Friends of Life Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 962, Eureka, CA 95502

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Mary Rosebrook’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.