15 May 2024
Former councillor and Mayor of both Harpenden and St Albans, chairman of the Harpenden Day Care Centre Association and Druglink Ltd.
Rosemary Farmer was delighted to be elected Mayor of St Albans and District in 2018, following three highly successful terms as Mayor of Harpenden. She was a long serving Harpenden councillor, serving 15 years on Harpenden Town Council (where she was proud of having chaired every committee) and eight years on the district council. She also undertook many voluntary roles, as a school governor, chairman of the Harpenden Day Centre Association and of Druglink Ltd, and working with the Harpenden Contact Centre, Harpenden Trust and Mind in Mid Herts.
As Mayor of Harpenden, Rosemary was an enthusiastic and popular participant in the life of the town. She held frequent events to raise significant sums for her nominated charities. She personally advocated for the Royal Anglian Regiment to be granted the Freedom of Harpenden and was thrilled when they held a regimental march through the town.
Those who knew Rosemary tell of her doing a fund-raising route march with a number of young soldiers, all at least a foot taller than her. She commented she had to take two steps to their one, but she made it.
As Mayor of St Albans, Rosemary was respected by her colleagues for working with mental health charities to raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce the stigma associated with them. She worked across party lines to ensure that the whole council followed best practice with its own staff.
She was a highly active Mayor but perhaps her most enjoyable Mayoral responsibility was to visit the frigate HMS St Albans. Rosemary was asked to fire one of the large ship guns and apparently did so enthusiastically if inaccurately.
Rosemary had a glittering career in the city before moving to Harpenden just before the millennium. She did a degree in Medieval literature in the mid-60s, going to Leeds University as she thought it had the best degree course in the country. She then joined a private bank, becoming one of the first female professionals in the City and working for many years in corporate finance.
When an American bank bought out her company in the 1980s, it surprised no one when they promoted the ‘English lady’. She thrived and made many visits to the USA, saying that she thought she had visited and worked in every state.
Unlike other corporate bankers, she refused to finance Robert Maxwell. Rosemary understood people and thought he was a ‘wrong-un’.
Privately, Rosemary had a huge circle of friends, drawn from all walks of life, and was much sought after as a quiz team member. However, her encyclopaedic knowledge of history, literature and the arts did not extend to popular music. WhenFreddie Mercury moved in next door to her in Kensington, she was heard to say: “He’s a very nice chap, but what does he do?”
Rosemary was born in Northwood on December 1949 3 and brought up in Great Missenden. She and her twin brother Derek were part of a close and loving family and she spoke often of her parents’ caring nature and how much they did for their community. As a child, she helped her mother with meals-on-wheels and that ethos of community service stayed with her throughout her life.
She firmly believed that serving others, not only helped them, but was the best way to feel happy and productive. She was always available to help in any way necessary and was much sought after as a volunteer for local groups and charities. She believed every job counted and was as happy serving tea as chairing a board.
Rosemary died after a short illness and is much missed by her sister-in-law Sue, her niece Roz and all her many friends and colleagues.
