Rosemary Corcoran

Rosemary Corcoran, 94, passed away peacefully at home in Cayucos on April 19th, 2013. Rosemary was born March 8, 1919 in Toledo, Ohio to Justin Rice Whiting, an automotive industrial engineer, and Doris Erma Whiting (née Black), a homemaker. Her early life was spent in Toledo, Ohio and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She graduated from Grosse Pointe High School and then attended Hillsdale College (1936-38), in Hillsdale, Michigan. She was initiated into Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority in 1937. During her long career she worked in advertising, marketing, and public relations as a writer, advertising copywriter and account manager. She moved around the U.S. taking jobs in Detroit MI, Fort Wayne IN, New York City, and in California―Fresno, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and finally Arcata (Humboldt State University). In Los Angeles, she worked with Helen Gurley Brown (who was also a lifelong friend) at Foote, Cone & Belding, a prominent advertising firm, where both were advertising copywriters. Later in L.A. she worked as an account manager for Jim Bishop & Associates, a public relations firm. She first married Orlando DuBois ”Lan” Ingalls, Jr., a WWII pilot, on March 1, 1943 (Great Falls, Montana). On a trip to Mexico in September 1951 (Tlaquiltenango, Morelos), she married James Burton ”Burt” Leiper who worked in public relations and as a lobbyist; a second ceremony was held in Washington, D.C on December 16, 1951. Her third husband, Michael Corcoran (née Albert Austin Corcoran) was a long-time friend and colleague in the public relations/advertising field whom she married on March 17, 1975 (Crescent City, California). Rosemary and Michael retired to Morro Bay in 1980, because Rosemary loved the ocean. After Michael’s sudden death in 1985 she met Andrew Wallace “Buck” Walters, a retired engineer and recent widower. Rosemary and Buck formed a very compatible relationship and lived together for 27 years. In 2000, they became Registered Domestic Partners in California. Rosemary is survived by her Domestic Partner, Andrew Walters. She became an important part of the Walters’ family and will be greatly missed by several of Andrew’s children and grandchildren: daughter Laurel Walters and husband John Cronin (Cloudcroft, NM), daughter Lindsey Thornton, husband Jay and children, Molly, Riley and Jack (Fairbanks, AK), and daughter Cheryl Foden and her daughter, Lindsey (San Jose and Santa Cruz, CA). Andrew’s grandchild, May Jacob (San Diego, CA) also was very close to Rosemary and lived with her for a time. Rosemary was an only child, but grew up with lots of cousins in Ohio and Michigan. She is survived by the children of her dear first cousin and friend, Margaret Morand―Carla Dustin (La Mesa, CA), Patricia Marraccini (Lawrenceburg, KY), Paul Morand (Essexville, MI). Rosemary also formed a close relationship with a nephew and niece by her marriage to Burt Leiper, and is survived by Norman King (Walnut Creek, CA), and Dianne Briggs (Fresno, CA). Rosemary was a gracious and polite person, who had exceptional conversational and people skills and high intelligence. It was a pleasure to be around her due to her interesting and complimentary personality. She had a creative fashion sense and was always beautifully put together; she was both a hand model and clothes model at various times in her life. Rosemary excelled at socializing, loved cats and all animals, adored flowers, and she was exceptionally good with words. She was an avid bird-watcher, concert-goer and travelled widely overseas. She explored many places including Morocco, Australia, Russia, Japan, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, Mexico, Guatemala, British Columbia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, England, and France. Per her wishes, cremation and burial at sea will be done by McDermott-Crockett Mortuary, Santa Barbara. No services are planned. Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to the Woods Humane Society, San Luis Obispo. The family wishes to thank Hospice Partners of the Central Coast, Paul Smith R.N./Case Manager (Extended Family Associates, San Luis Obispo), and Caregivers Jaci Vogt, Jane Scoredos, Sophie Mouret, Rexie Gravelle, Maya Aaron-Blue, and Dianne Newman from Active Care In-Home Services, Morro Bay for their excellent and compassionate care of Rosemary during her last few months.