Rosemary Pleune 

Published 2:19 pm Monday, January 27, 2025

Rosemary Smith Pleune of White Oak Village, Tryon, North Carolina, passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 24th, at 103.

She was born to Etola Mumford and Thomas Albert Smith on June 13, 1921, in Paw Paw, Michigan. Her first drawings in school were of buildings, and she knew by the fifth grade that she wanted to be an architect. At 16 she went to the University of Michigan to follow her dream and study architecture. She was a member of the Michigan Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega and enjoyed a lifetime alumni relationship with her sorority. After four years, she met and married Mark C. Pleune, another Michigan student. Her Architecture had to wait through World War II, and two sons, before she could finally put her education to use. When her sons were in junior high school, she started her career, which lasted 30 years, with homes of her design scattered all over western Michigan. Her family always had top priority, but she thoroughly enjoyed her Architectural career.

After World War II, she and Mark lived for 29 years in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, where their boys were raised. The next 13 years were spent in the country near Ada, Michigan, just outside of Grand Rapids. In 1988, she and Mark retired to Tryon, where they both enjoyed active lives. They joined the Congregational Church and became deeply involved with its activities. They were both longtime Hospice volunteers, and Rosemary also served on the Hospice Board. In 1997, they were both inducted into the Second Wind Hall of Fame.            

In 2000, Rosemary received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. She was locally renowned for her work with porcelain and was honored with a showing of her artwork at the Lanier Library.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her loving husband, Mark, in 2006 and her son, Mark Jr., in 2012.  

She is survived by her son, T. Scott Pleune (Gay); five grandchildren, Jeffrey Pleune (Carol),  Andrew Pleune (Patricia), T. Todd Pleune (Heather), S. Benjamin Pleune (Jill), and Carrie Pleune Christensen (Michael); nine great-grandchildren;  Mitchel Pleune, Maddie Pleune, Caroline Pleune, Annie Pleune, Henry Pleune, Oliver Pleune, Alice Christensen, Audrey Christensen, and Mark Christensen. She also leaves nieces Constance McDonald and Marcia Drehmann and nephews Thomas, James, Richard and Michael Haan, 

At Rosemary’s request, her body has been donated to MedCure for medical research. Her ashes will be placed in the Memorial Garden at the Tryon Congregational Church, beside her husband and oldest son, at a future private family service.

Donations in her memory can be made to the Tryon Fine Arts Center, the Congregational Church of Tryon, or the Foundation for St. Luke’s Hospital.

Submitted by Scott Pleune