Rose Marie (Tohill) Taggart

Rose Marie (Tohill) Taggart, 93, of Indianapolis, IN, formerly of Flat Rock, IL, and Arlington, VA, passed away in Indianapolis on December 20, 2021. She was born December 27, 1927, in Flat Rock, IL, the daughter of Charles & Mary (Magill) Tohill. A quiet, soft-spirited Rose Marie was raised in Flat Rock before moving to Evansville, IN, to attend business college as a young adult. She would go on to work as a secretary at a loan office in St. Louis, MO, before making a home in Washington, DC, where she worked as a secretary at the Pentagon for the Department of the Army and for the Science Information Exchange at the Smithsonian. It was in DC that she met her husband, William "Bill" Taggart, and they were married in October of 1969. He would precede her in death. In 1972, Bill & Rose Marie welcomed to their family a son, John Warren Taggart, and he too preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents; by her brothers, Lewis, William, David, Edward, and Charles; and by her sisters, Maxine, Katherine, and Mary. Throughout her 93 years, it was evident that Rose Marie loved to travel, especially to coastal destinations. Walking on the beach and jumping the waves, she splashed in the waters at Rehoboth Beach, DE; Arlington Beach on the Potomac; Atlantic City, NJ; Ocean City, MD; Virginia Beach, VA and Ocean View, Norfolk. She also loved to see the sights of Canada, Missouri, North & South Carolina, New York City, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington State, Washington, DC, and Virginia. In the fall, she looked forward to day trips to Skyline Drive to see the colorful leaves, local orchards for apple cider and doughnuts, and raking leaves in her yard. She thoroughly enjoyed living in the DC area and was known to ride the Metro downtown for a day of shopping and lunch or to visit Smithsonian, Art Museums, and War Memorials. After all, Rose Marie had a deeply-embedded appreciation for history, further evidenced by the sheer amount of time she invested reading books about our nation's wars. She also occupied herself tracing through her family's history. Rose Marie was also enamored with 1940's Big Band music and enjoyed attending military dances and taking dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studio. In fact, to celebrate her 92nd birthday, she danced at the Arthur Murray Studio in Avon, IN, and never missed a beat! As a young woman, she even tried her hand at acting in several plays put on by the Singles Group at Grace Methodist Church in St. Louis, MO, with whom she was an active member. Though she did and achieved much in her life, Rose Marie was proudest of being a mother to her son, John. She spent countless hours volunteering at John's schools, planning parties, and going to parks where he loved to hike. She even found herself volunteering at the Arlington County Library, where he worked! Life in Arlington was particularly kind to Rose Marie. Here, she could often be seen walking in her neighborhood, visiting with her dear neighbors and many cherished friends, which Rose Marie considered her "second family". They could attest that this quiet, reserved soul was filled to the brim with life. She accomplished much and loved even more, leaving behind a legacy that will last for generations. Rose Marie is survived by her brother, Donald; her sister-in-law, Rosemary; as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews; and many dear friends in Arlington, VA. A time of visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Flat Rock. Funeral services will immediately follow and will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. A live stream of Rose Marie's service will be available on Goodwine Funeral Homes' Facebook page or by going to https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream. Burial will be in the Jones Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to "Arlington County Public Library", with envelopes available at the funeral home.