Rosemary Thurber, the only child of Columbus-native cartoonist and author James Thurber and active participant in the Thurber House, has died at 94.
Rosemary Thurber died June 8 in Michigan and is described in her obituary as “a lifelong advocate for the common good of creatures great and small.”
The Thurber House, a Victorian-style home on Columbus’ East Side, is the former childhood home of Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist James Thurber, who died in November 1961. It opened to the public in 1984 as a literary center focused on celebrating the written word, according to its website.
The Thurber House, where Rosemary Thurber was a supporting founder, shared the news of her death in a Facebook post June 17, recognizing her contributions in keeping her father’s legacy alive.
Rosemary Thurber was born in New York City in 1931, and throughout her life lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri and Michigan. At 17 years old, she became passionate about acting and participated in theater during college, later founding a troupe that performed for kids.
Although she never lived in Columbus, she remained tied to the city through her work with the Thurber House.
“As the only child of a celebrated writer and cartoonist, Rosie found her life touched in exceptional ways,” her obituary said. “Working with publishers, authors, performers, and literary organizations, she guided her father’s literary estate and legacy as a humorist with care and a keen editorial sense.”
Outside her work with the Thurber House, Rosemary Thurber supported the environment, the arts, peace and social justice through her church – where she served on the vestry – and through the South Haven Center for the Arts, where she served as a board president.
In 1939, James Thurber wrote “The Last Flower,” a graphic novel designed to be anti-violence in the face of World War II. He dedicated it to his daughter.
“For Rosemary, in the wistful hope that her world will be better than mine,” he wrote.
Dispatch Reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rosemary Thurber, daughter of James Thurber, dead at 94
Reporting by Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
