Rosemary Cox Pargiter

Rosemary Cox Pargiter of Knoxville, TN, 64, passed away Thursday, July 13, 2023, at Parkwest Medical Center of heart failure. Rose was preceded in death by her father, Landon B. Cox, Sr., her mother, Frances V. Cox, her brother, Landon B. Cox, Jr., and her sister, Robin Cox Harkleroad. Rose is survived by her loving husband of 35 years, Luke R. Pargiter; niece, Kelly Cox Parks (John); nephews, Alan Harkleroad (Cortney) and Timothy Harkleroad; great-nieces, Marley Parks and Asa Harkleroad; sister-in-law, Beverly Cox, and former brother-in-law, Bill Harkleroad. She is also survived by some special cousins, some very dear friends, and her beloved cat, Olive. A native of Bristol, TN, she was a member of the Virginia Avenue United Methodist Church. She graduated from Tennessee High in 1976, where she participated in many clubs and ran track. She attended East Tennessee State University through 1980, where she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. After 2 years at Colonial Hill Nursing Home in Johnson City, she attended the Medical College of Georgia, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1985 to become an Occupational Therapist. After several OT affiliations in MS, OK, and LA, she worked at multiple hospitals in SC and TN, including Bryan Psychiatric Hospital, Johnson City Medical Center and Veterans Affairs Hospital at Mountain Home, TN, where she enjoyed working with veterans, some whose service dated to WWI. Rose, or “Rosie” to her close friends, was an attentive caregiver, professionally for years as an OTR, then personally taking care of her mother and brother in times of need. She transitioned to a homemaker/family manager as her husband’s career lead them away from Johnson City, but she always maintained her regular OTR renewal requirements. A very empathetic person and good listener, it was a common theme among her friends and family that in trying times, Rosie was someone who was consistently there for them. She had a great sense of humor, a sharp wit, and an unforgettable laugh. An animal lover, without fail, she would always ask permission to pet any dog walking down the street, a love which extended most to her beloved cats over the years, Carmen, Mittsy, and then together, Kiki and Olive from Young-Williams Animal Center. A diehard Vols fan (unless playing her alma mater ETSU) she closely followed football, but her greatest love was undoubtedly men’s basketball. A creative and skilled artist, in some years, Christmas gifts for friends were exclusively handicrafts. She was a supporter of local artists at the Knoxville Art Market Gallery and the Gatlinburg and Foothills Guild Craft shows. She had a love of all music but had a special affinity for singer/songwriter music like that of Dan Fogelberg and John Mayer, with lyrics as deep as the music, leading her at one time to work part-time at a record store to replace all her albums and cassettes with CDs. A regular supporter of local music, she was frequently up for a concert. She was a supporter of “The Joy of Music” from its early inception, an organization that provides free music lessons to children who could otherwise not afford them. A private family memorial service will be held in Winter Park, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to one of the following charitable organizations in memory of Rosemary Pargiter: Joy of Music School, 1209 Euclid Avenue, Knoxville TN 37921 https://joyofmusicschool.org/donate/ Young-Williams Animal Center, 3201 Division Street, Knoxville, TN 37919 https://young-williams.networkforgood.com/projects/193817-support-young-williams-animal-center Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A, Short Hills, NJ 07078 https://ChristopherReeve.org/donate

Tributes

Rosemary Cox Pargiter

July 13, 2023