Rosemary Mahon Glenn

Rosemary Mahon Glenn entered peacefully into God’s Church Triumphant on December 9, 2025, just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Up to the end of her life, she was a deep thinker and a born storyteller who delighted in making people laugh.

Rosemary was born in Chicago, Illinois to parents Eusebius and Elizabeth Mahon. She grew up in Evansville Indiana with a younger brother and two younger sisters. Gifted with an active intellect, she graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in library science. She began her long career as a librarian in Indiana. After meeting and marrying her husband James (“Jim”) Allen Glenn, Jr., she moved south, ultimately settling in Chamblee, Georgia. Before starting her family, she was active in the League of Women Voters and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Rosemary and Jim had four children, Alice, James III (“Jag”), and twins Nancy and Anita.

Rosemary continued her work as a librarian while raising her family, and she enjoyed sharing her love of good literature with everyone who came into her orbit. During her long career, she worked as a reference librarian, a children’s librarian, and a high school librarian. She loved all her library jobs, but her favorite of all was being the “Story Lady” for Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library system. As the “Story Lady”, she traveled around the city to read stories and share her love of books with children. She retired in 1993 at the age of 67 to help take care of her first grandchild, Oliver Ladd. Throughout her 70’s, she delighted in being a part-time nanny to Oliver and his little brothers Charlie and Henry.

Rosemary embraced her retirement years with boundless energy, often referring to it as “late middle age”. She pursued her passions of storytelling, puppeteering, writing, church activities, and other volunteer work throughout her 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. She was formally recognized for her contributions to the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club and the Presbyterian Women (U.S.A.).

In 2015, Rosemary threw herself a 90th birthday bash where she entertained a ballroom full of guests with jokes, stories and funny poems she authored. She moved into an assisted living apartment at age 94 and immediately began entertaining her new friends and neighbors. Rosemary’s performances continued right up until her last few weeks. As recently as October she was the subject of an Atlanta TV news feature entitled “The 99-year-old Comedian”.

Rosemary Glenn is survived by daughters Alice, Nancy (Kip Ladd), and Anita Glenn, grandsons Oliver, Charlie and Henry Ladd, daughter-in-law Nana Ladd and great granddaughters Caroline and Charlotte Ladd.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday December 28 at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Roswell, Georgia. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Sierra Club or the Presbyterian Women (U.S.A).