Rosemary Eschmann Ryan

On Sunday, June 19th, 2022, Rosemary Eschmann Ryan, loving wife, and devoted mother of seven children, passed away at the age of 94. Rosemary was born a Swiss National on June 21st, 1927, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico to Eugene John and Consuelo Meraz Eschmann.

Rosemary was also affectionately known as Mama, Grand Mommy, Moppy, and Body Beautiful by family, friends, and the general public. Mama genuinely left an indelible imprint on all of those many, many people whom she touched with the great force of her charming personality, beautiful soul and downright goodness. Exceptionally gifted at assuming the center of attention in any group, congregation or gathering that she graced with the pleasure of her company, Rosemary never met a stranger.

To describe Mama as a driven person, is a woefully inadequate way to account for her life and accomplishments. Rosemary sang in the St. Vincent de Paul choir for many years, she was a gourmet cook, gifted gardener, seamstress, pianist, extraordinary entertainer and bi-lingual. She did not waste any of her God-given talents. She reared seven children as a full time homemaker. Most people would be happy to stop right there. Not Mama. She went on to establish herself professionally and prominently in her career pursuits. Her long and storied professional career included key positions with the Petroleum Industry Yellow Pages, where she rose to become Vice President of sales. She was then lured away to join Clydesdale Bank of Scotland as their representative in the US in which she landed marquee account relationships that included the Saudi Prince Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. After retiring from the bank, Rosemary started her own very successful representative services business for US and UK oil field/offshore equipment companies and became a widely admired entrepreneur. She also was past president and secretary of the Houston Grampian Association. Mama had a reputation overseas and internationally in the Houston Oil Field industry as a “get-it-doner” (not a mere doer) in the late seventies through the early 2000s. Perhaps most notably, Rosemary was bestowed an Honorary M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen of England.  See: http://www.grampian-houston.co.uk/honours.html

To Rosemary, the American Dream wasn’t just an idea. It was her story. She lifted herself up with great style, grace and aplomb from very humble and difficult beginnings. However, she was not one to make, or accept excuses for not pushing herself. She made no excuses for being a minority nor an immigrant. No excuses for growing up poor. No excuses for growing up without a father (her father died when she was 9 years old). No excuses for being a beautiful woman operating in a man’s world (actually, she enjoyed that). It is hard to fathom any person overcoming these obstacles. That is, until you learn the story of Rosemary.

Mama will be sorely missed and survived by her loving children Kathleen Norberg, Denise Burton, Gerald (Judd) Ryan and wife Megan, Sean, Brendan, Colman and Colin Ryan, her grandchildren, Kristen Norberg, Marissa and Kevin Burton, Shane, Taylor and Dylan Ryan, and her great grandchildren, Luke Burton, Milo Norberg, Chloe Ryan, Valen Figueroa and soon to be born, Nour Burton.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald Ryan, parents, Eugene and Consuelo Eschmann, brothers Eugene, Arnold and Karl Eschmann, her twin sister Frances Gilger, and her beloved dog Buddy Boudreaux Bunthorne Ryan.

All whom loved her dearly will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace and undying love and caring for them. She was a devout Catholic who loved God to her core throughout her long life.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on June 28, 2022 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or a charity of your choice.