Rosemary

Durant

Rosemary “Rosie” Durant, 88, of Kingston, and formerly of Everett and Sandwich, died unexpectedly Nov. 7, 2026, at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth.

Rosie was born in Everett in 1938, the daughter of Edward and Mary Curtin. She graduated from Everett High School in 1956 and received a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Salem State College in 1960.

She taught in the Everett school district for two years, but, back in those days, she had to leave when she married John “Jack” Durant on Aug. 13, 1962. She worked as a substitute teacher in Chelsea for a short time before leaving to have her first child in 1963. Taking care of home and children became her full-time occupation with the arrival of more children in 1964, 1965 and 1966. The baby of the family came later in 1972.

Rosie and Jack liked to travel, taking cruises to Bermuda and Hawaii. When the children were young, they enjoyed family gatherings with the DeConincks in Vermont.

Rosie returned to the workforce in 1980, working as a supervisor of training at Colonial Investments. She took great joy in teaching “the young people” and made friendships that endured for decades.

Jack and Rosie lived in Everett for 40 years, with 37 of those years living in her childhood home on High Street. On a whim, they looked at a home for sale in Sandwich in 1995 and purchased it on the spot. The move reunited them with their good friends and Sandwich residents Eileen and Jimmy Burns.

Rosie retired from the workforce in 2001, which allowed more time for her greatest joy, which was family. As her children and many grandchildren would tell you, Rosie was not always the most tactful but was deeply authentic, showing her adoration, thoughtfulness and caring to all those around her. She welcomed everyone with a hug and never held back from telling people how much she loved them. She was particularly patient with people’s faults and always willing to overlook past wrongs. She laughed often, frequently at things she said or did herself. She was seen as the world’s greatest cheerleader, who looked for the best in everyone and believed in them out loud.

Rosie kept tabs on family and friends, often through Facebook, and made sure to send birthday cards and best wishes to those celebrating special occasions, and children’s books and toys to the parents of newborns.

She always claimed to be shy, but within minutes at any social gathering, of which there were many because of her large family, she would be deep in conversation with loved ones or strangers, learning about their families, backgrounds, occupations and interests. She had a gift for meeting someone and, within five minutes, talking with them as if they’d been friends for life. She’d arrive home and say, “You know when you meet someone and you just like them immediately?”. Rosie had that experience often.

Her grandchildren recall summer visits to the Sandwich home, where they enjoyed trips to the "penny candy" store, visits to the pond, and Easter egg hunts, where all eggs may or may not have been found. Visitors could expect their favorite homemade snacks, from Congo bars to pumpkin cookies to cake pan cake. Their door was always open to family or friends who needed a place to stay.

For many years, family members could expect a duet of Rosie and Jack singing “Happy Birthday,” sometimes delivered on-key though oftentimes off, but always sung with warmth and humor.

While living in Kingston, she enjoyed special trips sponsored by the Duxbury Council on Aging. Every Christmas season, she looked forward to spending to the Christmas show performance by the Cape Cod Symphony

She is survived by her husband; four children: Bonnie O’Neill and her husband Paul, of Kingston, Peter Durant and his wife Karen, of Greenland, N.H., Timothy Durant and his wife Betsy, of Melrose, and Andrew Durant and his wife Melissa, of Kingston; grandchildren Sean O’Neill, of Sandwich, Daniel O’Neill and his wife Christa, of Providence, R.I., Ryan Durant and his wife Jessica, of Epping, N.H., Abby Brown and her husband Logan, of Greenland, N.H., Matthew Durant and his wife Emma, of Exeter, N.H., Emily Durant and her husband Joseph Spriggs, of Sheffield, England, Brady Durant, of Reading, Cassie Durant, of Melrose, Jackson Durant, of Brighton, Addison Durant, of Kingston, Mason Durant, of Kingston, and Lizzie Sprout of Chatham; and great-grandchildren Norah, Harper and Wyatt Durant, and Calvin O’Neill.

She is predeceased by her parents; her son Gerald; and her three siblings, Kathleen Molenaar, David Curtin and Brian Curtin.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, November 13th from 11-1:00 PM at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main St. in Kingston, with a reception immediately following at Alden Park, Old Colony Place in Plymouth.