Rosemary Hoggard – Obituary
Romantic writer and popular creative writing tutor, Rosemary Hoggard who lived in Kibworth for 40 years has died peacefully at home aged 93.
Rosemary had over 150 short stories published across at least 27 magazines, mostly aimed at women readers. Several of these were reprinted as far afield as Australia, Denmark, Holland and Sweden. She was particularly thrilled when in her late eighties, her first novel went into print. To become a romantic novelist as well as story writer had been a lifelong dream.
Her ambition was to become a teacher, but this was prevented by family circumstances. Eventually, as a well-established author, she was able to do a teacher training course then moved into adult education.
She taught creative writing at several venues in Leicester, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and locally at Kibworth High School. She took the most enormous pleasure and satisfaction from seeing students and mentees achieve good things with their own writing and in some instances go on to build careers as authors.
When she married Keith at Easter 1957 her full name became Pauline Rosemary Hoggard, a name which lent itself perfectly over time to the memorable email address prosehoggard@
Rosemary and Keith had two sons, Nicolas who built a career in Sweden and Jonathan who remained in the local area and did much to help Rosemary continue to live independently in older age.
Friends locally would pop round for a cup of tea and right to the end of her days would be welcomed with an elegant china tea cup and a pretty china plate of biscuits, served befittingly on a dainty tray. Rosemary’s interest in people never flagged, but she became saddened when she no longer felt useful.
Then on a recent summer’s day like the last chapter of a romantic novel, Jonathan arrived at the house with her supermarket shop and discovered the front door unexpectedly locked. He let himself in, went upstairs, and found that she had passed quietly away resting on top of her bed.
Val Moore with Nicolas and Jonathan Hoggard
Kibworth Community Library – Autumn Talks and Activities
Kibworth Beauchamp Grammar School Hall is 90!
