Rosemary O'Donnell, homemaker

She was a member of the Woman's Club of Roland Park

Rosemary O'Donnell, a homemaker, died of respiratory failure Nov. 13 at Stella Maris in Timonium. The former Cedarcroft resident was 90.

Born Rosemary Ann Frederick in Baltimore, she was raised on Bolton Street and later lived on Southway. Her father, Herman A. Frederick, owned a roofing, heating and plumbing business. Her mother, Mae Ellis Frederick, died in 1930. Mrs. O'Donnell was a great-niece of George A. Frederick, architect of Baltimore's City Hall and the Druid Hill Park pavilions.

She attended the Cathedral School and was a 1941 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory School. She attended Strayer Business College and became a secretary for Furness Withy & Co., a South Street stevedoring firm.

In 1948, she married James Joseph O'Donnell Sr., a Naval Academy graduate and attorney who headed the state Department of Planning and was named Maryland secretary of transportation by Gov. Harry Hughes. He served from 1979 to 1981.

Mrs. O'Donnell and her husband enjoyed travel. A member of the Woman's Club of Roland Park, she also entertained and gardened.

Before moving to Mercy Ridge in Timonium, Mrs. O'Donnell was a member of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Stella Maris Chapel, 2323 Dulaney Valley Road.

In addition to her husband of 65 years, survivors include two sons, James Joseph O'Donnell Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., and Timothy Frederick O'Donnell of Suwanee, Ga.; a daughter, Mary Patricia O'D. Howard of Timonium; seven grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

[e-mail]