Rosemary McCarty

Rosemary Frances McCarty, 79, long-time resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away from Alzheimer's on Wednesday, February 7 2024, with her family by her side.

She was the first of four daughters born to Eugene and Frances McCarty, and was born on May 8, 1944 in Washington D.C. She lived in D.C. while her parents were serving in the military at the end of WWII, but shortly after her father's service ended the family moved to Robstown, Texas, and she was a Texan at heart. She loved visiting the beach in Corpus Christi with her sisters Pat, Ruth Ann, and Kathy while growing up, and returned home to visit throughout her life.

Rosemary moved to Oklahoma after she married David Sims, and they have four children: Stephanie, Kimberley, Stephen, and Robyn. Although they later divorced, the two remained good friends throughout her life.

Rosie spent her life serving her family, friends, and community, both in her employment and personal life. She spent twenty years employed by Home Option Personal Care, providing care for the elderly in the Salt Lake area. This is the work that made her heart happy, and she considered it a great privilege to care for so many, and to be present with them as they passed on to the other side.

Through her affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and more recently, the Unity Spiritual Community of Salt Lake, she embraced countless opportunities to share her love for the Lord through service, from caring for little ones to feeding the homeless in the downtown Salt Lake City area. She loved being a part of Unity's activism, and was loved by many because of her efforts to raise awareness of the homeless veterans in downtown SLC.

Rosie also gained many friends through her creativity, and through her love of reading, travel, cooking, and music. She attended countless concerts with family and friends throughout the years, from her favorite Texan George Strait to Reggae festivals, and her tender spirit loved the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

We will miss our Mom and Grammie. She taught us to love life, to embrace new adventures, to work hard, and to hold tight to all the little joys that life offers us. We will miss her fighting spirit and her unquestionable faith, but her resilience and love live on.

Family and friends will be joining together in May to celebrate her life. It was Rosie's wish to be cremated, and to have her ashes scattered in her beloved Corpus Christi.

Rosemary was predeceased by her parents Eugene Murrey McCarty and Frances Alberta Ashton, and her sister Patricia Thompson.

Rosemary is survived by her four children: Stephanie Sims (Eric Holmes), Kimberley (Michael) Smith, Stephen (Jessica) Sims, and Robyn (James) House; her fifteen grandchildren: Stephon, Caleb, Megan, Lundi, Harrison, Trevelyn, Natalee, Lauren, Madeleine, Liam, Gentry, Jakub, Audrey, Ian, and Aerial; her two sisters: Ruth Ann Custer and Kathleen Standley; and by her "wusband" and friend, Dave Sims. Thank you, Debbie Densley and Colleen Bryant Nelson, for loving our Mom and always remaining her loyal friends.