Rosalind Thayer Watlington (née Garges) passed peacefully in her sleep at the King Edward Memorial Hospital's Gordon ward, at 5:30am Monday December 17th, 2007.

She was in her 83rd year.

Rosalind, often known as Rosie, was born February 11, 1925 in Newark, New Jersey, USA, and raised in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Her parents were Eugene Willard Garges and Lucy Alys Waring. Both parents were musicians and Rosie was exposed to music from her earliest age.

She was to spend a lifetime dedicated to music, both as a teacher and performer.

Rosalind attended high school at Glen Ridge High in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. She received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1946 from Maryville College of Maryville, Tennessee.

Her major field of study was French with electives in Violin, Piano, Music Appreciation and Theory. After graduation she took employment as a bookkeeper with Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York.

This enabled her to study violin under Effie Knauss of the highly respected conservatory of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

While living in Rochester, she met a charming Bermudian scientist and electronic engineer, Frank W. H. Watlington at a YMCA lecture. In April of 1948 they married at Riverside Church, an interdenominational church in New York City.

Rosie and Frank moved to Bermuda in 1948, expecting to stay one year. Enroute they honeymooned aboard the Queen of Bermuda.

They encouraged and supported each other in their endeavours. Rosie embarked on a long, dedicated and inspirational career through the music and social fabric of the island.

Her spirited and fruitful relationship with her husband continued until his untimely passing, with her at his side, in 1983.

Her relationship with Bermuda will last for many years to come. Both Mr. and Mrs. Watlington are listed in Who's Who in America. Mr. Watlington is listed as recognition for his work as a scientist in the field of acoustic engineering. Rosie is listed in Who's Who in Music as recognition of her long and dedicated career in music.

After her move to the Island she studied with a succession of violinists who played professionally at the Elbow Beach Club Hotel. Through these independent studies Rosie put herself through the Royal School of Music violin examinations Grades V through VIII.

In her early years on the island she played Handel's Messiah with musicians from the US Naval Air Station (Bermuda). She performed with the orchestra of the Bermuda Music and Dramatic Society under Drummond Wolfe, with the Bermuda Ontario Society, and the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra. She sang alto with the Cathedral Choir of the Anglican Church. She was a performing member of the Daylesford Symphonia.

Throughout her career as a musician and teacher and mother, Mrs. Watlington spent thirty years upgrading both her performance and teaching skills by attending a series of twenty eight summer workshops, the Summer Chamber Music program of the Vermont Musical Arts Center, and the summer series of studies with the Wellesley College Composer's Conference. Rosie believed in continuous betterment and improvement. To enable her to pass on her skills, love and enthusiasm for music, specifically string chamber and orchestral music, she studied teaching and instruction.

Mrs. Rosalind Watlington is known as the first Bermudian teacher of violin in Bermuda, and influenced the Bermuda Arts Council to bring in additional teachers when her work load exceeded her determination and enthusiasm.

In 1973, she built the first string section of the Bermuda Youth Orchestra, introducing the study and playing of the violin family of stringed instruments to the island. This began with giving violin lessons to students from Bermuda High School and Saltus Grammar School. Rosie taught children after school and interested adult students at home during the days. Over the years many of her students earned merits and distinctions in Royal School of Music exams.

In 1976 internationally renowned violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin visited Bermuda. He was a personal friend of the governor of the time, Sir Edward Leather and the idea was formed to bring internationally recognised performers and music teachers to Bermuda. Rosalind Watlington was appointed as a trustee of the Menuhin foundation at inception and served continuously in that role for nearly thirty years. Ultimately she was granted the position Trustee Emeritus of the foundation.

The Menuhin Foundation's injection of resources, talent and enthusiasm was vital to music in Bermuda. Rosie considered this one of the major works of her life.

Rosalind believed strongly in the value of community music for all and for over forty years was a performer, promoter and organiser with the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2002, the Queen in her annual birthday honours recognized Rosalind Watlington's service to the musical community of Bermuda with the title Member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Rosalind loved Bermuda life. She was a member of the Paget Lawn and Tennis Club. Many lifelong friendships came out of her involvement with that group. Later she was a member of the Ariel Sands Club. She spent many hours entertaining, dining, swimming and participating in social events there.

She also loved the Elbow Beach Hotel and the Princess Hotel.

There was a grand piano at each of these facilities and Rosalind was an indulgent and appreciative audience of both professional and ad hoc performances by her son "Bill Byron".

Rosalind's enthusiasm for the arts and for the people she loved extended to visual arts, inspiring her daughter Diana to follow a career in fine arts. Rosie facilitated several showings of Diana's work at galleries in Bermuda.

Her encouragement of creativity and determination in the arts is reflected in Diana's artwork and in Bill's songwriting and pop band leadership. Both of Rosalind's children have achieved successful careers in the arts.

Mrs. Watlington was also member of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the English Speaking Union, and a patron of many philanthropic organisations on the island.

Rosalind is survived by siblings Eugene W. Garges Jr of Manhasset, Long Island, New York, Marguerite Garges White of Forest, Virginia and William Jeffery Garges of Tom's River, NJ. She is survived by children Francis William Watlington (stage name "Bill Byron") and Diana Thayer Watlington, by grandchildren Kerry Ruetenik Abukhalaf and Daniel Ruetenik and by great grandson Mazen Ihssan Francis Abukhalaf.

Faith and church life was a major part of Rosie's life. She was deeply influenced by the minister at Christ Church, Rev. George Buchanan, through adult scripture classes and by his work as a moderator during Bermuda's social difficulties in the late 1960s.

Mrs. Watlington was a deaconess of the Christ Church Presbyterian Church of Scotland in Warwick, Bermuda.

Rosie was highly appreciated in various parts of Bermuda and USA society. We will miss her in the classical music world, her church connections, various educational institutions and her parish neighbourhood. Her vibrant humour, empathy, quick wit and intellectual knowledge were inspiring.

She will be greatly missed but, her memory and strong spirit will live on to encourage both young people and adults in Bermuda's future.

In lieu of flowers, the Watlington family would appreciate your assistance in continuing her long-term support and life's work by making memorial donations to The Menuhin Foundation, P.O. Box 2814, Hamilton HMLX, Bermuda.