Rosemary Hughes Johnson's Obituary
Rosemary Hughes Johnson of St. Petersburg died on May 25, 2025, under Hospice care at Arden Courts of Seminole, Florida, of Alzheimer's Disease. Born December 5, 1929, in Monson, MA. She is preceded in death by her son, Steven J. Martel. Rosemary graduated from Monson Academy and attended American International College and Hartford Academy of Design. In the early 1970s, she relocated to St. Petersburg and served as bookkeeper for E. J. Hughes Company advertising agency until 1995.
Rosemary's contributions to the community of St. Petersburg were many, driven by her love of children and the performing arts. In the early 1980s, while producing several musicals at St. Pete Little Theater (now St. Petersburg City Theater), she sat on the board of two (2) children's performing arts programs, Sunshine Kids in Production (SKIP) and Suncoast Theater Artists in Review (STAR). In 1982, Rosemary founded The Commercial Kids & Co.
In 1984, she opened the Florida Performing Arts Studio (FPAS), which the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce recognized as Florida's best theatrical training facility. In the late 1980s, Rosemary purchased and transformed the Golden Apple Dinner Theater into The Encore Dinner Theater, adding many professional productions of beloved Broadway musicals to her "Executive Producer" resume.
Throughout the 1990s, Rosemary owned and operated a retail store called "Rosemary's Antiques and Collectibles," selling furnishings and decor to the local community. She also served for several non-profit organizations, chaired numerous fundraising events, and was even awarded a key to the City by the mayor. She was an active St. Petersburg Yacht Club member, held several SPYC Women's Club board positions, and played bridge and mahjong weekly until 2015.
Rosemary's family includes her husband, Jim Johnson; daughter, Kim Hughes Ellis; stepdaughter, Traci Johnson (husband Alan); four stepsons – Scott Johnson (wife Kim), David Johnson, Ed Hughes III (wife Didi), Jeff Hughes; and her eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Celebration of Rosemary's life is Thursday, June 12, 11:00 AM, at Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family will be accepting guests starting at 10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association:
https://act.alz.org/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app20034a?pg=fund&fr_id=1060&pxfid=732849&NONCE_TOKEN=FDDB1EDECD0503F7B1CBA85914B27597
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