Rosemary made a portfolio of her advertising and public relations work (some) which I have gone through and will summarize here:

From about 1975 to 1980 Rosemary worked for Humboldt State University.  She may have worked in public relations or as an executive secretary. Her husband, Michael Corcoran was Director of Public Relations for the school.

During 1967-1973 she worked for Jim Bishop & Associates, Inc (Beverly Hills, CA),  Comprehensive Health Planning Association of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA), and the Public Relations Counsel (Los Angeles, CA).  In these positions, she describes her job titles as Account executive/art director, Advertising coordinator, Community Coordinator and Fund Raiser/Public & Community Relations.

Her Accounts included the following:
Dow Chemical Company,
Coast Federal Savings & Loan
Los Angeles Press Photographers Association
Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Huntington Park Mission Hospital
Centinela Valley Community Hosppital
Community Hospital, Huntington Park
Garden Park General Hospital
San Antonio Community Hospital, Upland, CA

All-City Outdoor Festival

Political Campaigns:
George Fugita/Arthur Gardner, Board of Education
Supervisor Hahn, re-election  

Switzer Center for Educational Therapy, Hermosa Beach, CA

Her resume says that from 1960-1967 she worked for the Public Relations Counsel in California and was responsible for the accounts of Producers Cotton Oil Company, Fresno; Maid of Cotton Contest; State Fair, Youth Achievement and Gottschalk's Department Store.

During the 1950's she worked in NYC for Amos Parrish & Company coordinating advertising and promotion for department store clients in North and South America.  She also worked for J.W. Robinson Co. in Los Angeles as Assistant to the Vice President in charge of advertising and publicity.  At Foote, Cone & Belding, Inc., in Los Angeles she was responsible for the accounts of Arden Farms, Security First National Bank and Cole of California. 

Rosemary Whiting was my first cousin twice removed. Her father Justin Rice Whiting was a brother to my great grandmother Katherine Emilie Whiting. I never had the pleasure to meet any of them. My mother and father knew Rosemary, and her parents Justin and Doris .  In my files I have a Christmas card sent to my parents from Rosemary with a beautiful hand written letter attached. The front of the card is a photo of Rosemary and Buck.  My father and Rosemary were both born in the same year and the same month, but Rosemary was exactly 10 days older.  They were more like first cousins, but actually my grandmother was the first cousin to Rosemary and my father was a first cousin once removed.

I have been doing genealogy research for the last few years trying to find out about my family especially on my father's side, something our family knew very little about.  As I progress through the information I have been fortunate enough to build a family tree that includes lovely  people such as Rosemary, who in my opinion was truly a very refined and elegant lady brimming with an excess amount of classiness.

It was wonderful that this website has been created to enable others to better understand what Rosemary's life was like. The series of photographs through her life were incredible to view.  I could really get the sense of who Rosemary was as a person. I only wish that I could have met her and known her personally.  Congratulations Laurel on putting all of this together so beautifully. It's easy to see that this memorial was created with a real sense of love and respect for Rosemary and her legacy.

I am not sure if the family photograph that was dated around 1936, but was more likely to be 1939, had everyone identified.  If I may, I would like to put names and dates to all of those in the photograph. On the extreme left, basically out of the picture is a little boy.  This is Donald Quayle 1937 - 1978. Next is his grandmother Alice Gertrude Whiting Quayle 1879 - 1963.  Gertrude was a sister to Justin. Next is Minerva "Minnie" Whiting Fuhrman 1882 - 1954.  Minnie is the mother to Margaret Jean "Peg" Fuhrman 1923 - 2009, who is next in line in the photograph. Minnie was another sister to Justin.  Margaret is standing beside her father Captain Carl Louis Fuhrman 1889 - 1967. Next to Carl is Virginia Hagenbeck 1903 - 1956.  Virginia is the daughter of Olive Whiting Hagenbeck, another sister to Justin. Virginia was an accomplished pianist and played professionally. The little boy at the front is Ronald Walter Quayle who was born in 1931. He is the brother of Donald, and  both are the sons of Beatrice Pastorius Quayle and Arthur Reginald Quayle. Behind Ron is Rosemary Whiting 1919 - 2013. Rosemary is standing beside her father Justin Rice Whiting 1886 - 1982. Standing beside Justin is Beatrice Pastorius Quayle 1908 - 2005. Doris Erma Black Whiting 1896 - 1988 is standing beside Beatrice.

The Whiting family has a wonderful legacy and I have traced the line back for centuries. Rosemary's great grandmother was of French origin and her roots go back to Samuel de Champlain who brought the first French settlers over from France to begin their new life in Quebec.  From there many settlers moved again to Michigan including Rosemary's ancestors.  Rosemary's great grandmother was born in Michigan.  Her name was Margaret Huyet dit Champagne and she married Peter H Whiting in Michigan.  Peter was originally from New York.  One of their children was Jonathan Whiting, the father to Justin and 9 other children. Jonathan Whiting who went by the name John was a ships' captain on the Great Lakes.  He bought a home in Port Hope, Michigan  in 1881 and raised his children there with his wife Elizabeth Beckwith.  The family home is still in the Whiting family and has been continuously since Captain John purchased it. I have had the great pleasure to actually stay in the home and experience what life was like for the Whiting family over the years. Rosemary would have been at the same home several times. Nowadays the home is a mecca to the Whiting family and there have been several family reunions there. The Whiting family is full of interest, history and fascinating stories, and I am sure Rosemary was extremely proud to carry the Whiting name.


Mark Gillies