Rosemarie Carole Johnson

Rosemarie passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior after a brave battle with lung cancer. She was born in St. Paul, MN to Carol E. Rieder, growing up in Minneapolis with her mother and step dad, Ray N. Johnson, and two siblings, Judy and Ron, all of whom preceded her in death. She was an outdoors girl, played all sports in school, and loved being with dogs and horses. She married Kirk E. Towns in June 1959 and had two daughters, Vicki Marie in July 1962, and Terri Renee in April 1964. The family moved to Whidbey Island in 1966 and Kirk and Rosemarie were divorced in 1970.

Rosemarie became advertising manager for the Port Orchard Independent that same year, moving with her girls to Manchester. In 1974 she moved to Port Orchard and became a school bus driver for the South Kitsap School District, where she retired after a 26 year career. She loved gardening and took special pride in her roses. She played league softball and bowling for quite a few years. She was active in the choir at Grace Bible Church, then joined the congregation of First Baptist Church where she drove the church van, co-led an adult workout group, and served in hospitality. Rosemarie moved to Redmond, WA to be near her daughters in March 2025 as her health began to wane. She faced a return of lung cancer with courage, finding strength from her faith in Jesus Christ. As a family, we give Him the glory and praise for the peace that surrounded her, and for the wonderful caregivers she had at Redmond Heights Senior Living, and then at the Wockner Hospice Care Center in Kirkland.

Rosemarie is survived by her daughters, Vicki Crist and Terri Gustafson; her grandchildren, Lysa (Jeremiah) Armenta, and Chris (Macy Martyak) Gustafson; and her great grandchildren, Jaden Herwick, Kyler Herwick, Kaylee Gustafson, Taylor Armenta, and Kingston Armenta. She will be greatly missed and will be loved ‘forever and always’. In lieu of gifts, please donate to her passions: St. Jude’s Hospital, or Operation Smile.