Rosemary Keeling died peacefully in Ajijic on June 22, after a four-year battle with dementia.
Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, as a teenager, Rosemary’s first love was a spirited Arabian horse named Darjee, purchased on the condition that she would care for it herself. Under the watchful eye of her mother, she attended gymkhanas and rode with the hounds on fox hunts across the Yorkshire countryside. Alongside her love of horses, she developed a lifelong passion for music, becoming an accomplished pianist, flautist, organist and singer.
She attended private schools, trained as a teacher, and taught primary school children in the United Kingdom. A born educator, Rosemary had a remarkable gift for motivating her students.
She emigrated to Canada and spent ten years managing a farm in Ontario. It was an ideal place to raise her son while overseeing crops, livestock and employees. One of her greatest pleasures was spending ten days each spring boiling maple sap collected from more than one hundred maple trees.
Rosemary married her husband, John, in Toronto in 1991, and they remained devoted partners for the rest of her life. They lived in Richmond Hill, Ontario, until John’s retirement in 2002. Rosemary taught piano lessons from her home, sharing her love of music with generations of students. During the summers, they enjoyed canoeing trips through the wilderness parks of northern Ontario. Killarney Park was her favorite.
After retirement, they purchased a home in Ajijic, where they became active members of the local cultural community. In 2010, they were honored as “Ajijic Couple of the Year.” Music and faith remained central to Rosemary’s life. She was an active member of her church, singing in the choir and serving as Senior Warden. For ten years, she served as president of Viva la Musica, organizing bus trips to hear the Jalisco Symphony Orchestra in Guadalajara, arranging classical music concerts in Ajijic, and helping provide scholarships for local music students.
Rosemary will be remembered for her cheerful optimism, ready smile, sharp sense of humor, and the Yorkshire habit of calling a spade a spade. She was an excellent cook who loved travel, canoeing, camping and adventure. She approached life with supreme confidence and zero fear.
Rosemary is survived by her husband, John Keeling; her son, Michael; her grandchildren, Hilary and Owen; and her sister, Sarah.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 29, 10 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, San Lucas 19, in Riberas del Pilar.