 WOMACK, ROSALIND OGDEN born June, 1949, died June, 2013, in her own home in Albuquerque. Rosalind lived with equanimity and grace during the natural course of a brief terminal illness. Her dying was free of the complicating preoccupations of intrusive life-prolonging medical interventions. With the support of family and friends she decided instead to enjoy living as best she could free of the morbidities of a medically prolonged dying. Her decision not to pursue life-prolonging treatment in the face of an incurable cancer was based on a combination of no-nonsense realistic calculation and a morally principled resolve. She did not want to waste the precious resources of her family or society pursuing futile, expensive and distracting treatments. She used her precious time to focus on being in love together with her family and friends. Roz showed us all how to practice the courageous art of dying. Rosalind was fully experienced with the ins and outs of the medical system having trained as a nurse and worked for 40 years in Medicare and Medicaid utilization review; in medical staff quality assurance at the old Lovelace Hospital and as a cytotechnologist with Tri-Core Reference Labs. As a patient she survived multiple breast cancer treatments and a total hip replacement. With intelligence and competence she did what she could to help medicine do better at what it does well, and to stop doing so much harm, especially at the end of life. She was a restorative Hatha Yoga teacher who helped many older and disabled people to manage stress and feel better about living. Roz took great pleasure in the cooking, serving and enjoyment of good food with others, and she always had sewing projects making clothes for her nieces and their dolls. She taught cooking, sewing and the art of gracious, stylish living to her nieces, grandnieces and to their friends. Roz loved traveling with her husband to world wide exotic places and continued planning trips and traveling until a few months before her death. Roz completed her 'bucket list' in grand style. Rosalind believed it was her sacred duty to be responsible for making her living and for being attentive to and accomplishing her own dying. She arranged her affairs to be able to leave behind a greater wealth that could be invested anew by the coming generations. Roz was deeply committed to the upbringing and well-being of her beloved nieces and helped them to become the accomplished and loving ladies they are today. Rosalind was a wise and joyful Auntie, a loving generous wife, a faithful devoted daughter, niece and sister, and a fun-loving loyal friend. Rosalind O. Womack was the daughter of Russell O. Womack Jr. and Rose Lee Stewart Womack. She is survived by her husband Laurence T. Cotter; her sister Heather Lee Womack Gaume and her husband Arthur Norm Gaume; by her brother Russell O. Womack III and his wife, Charlene Hefner Womack; by her nieces Letisha Womack, Shanasi Womack Wade and her husband Chuck Wade, Camille Gaume Snyder and her husband David Snyder, Alethea Gaume Stone and her husband Tim Stone, and Brittany Gaume and her partner Colin Evans, and by grandnephews Max and Aiden Wade, and grandnieces Sara Anne Snyder, Caroline Rose Snyder, Willhelmina Womack and Eliza Stone. It is requested that, donations be made to worthy charities. Rosalind dearly loved a generous heart. Rosalind's Memorial Service is planned for July 12, 2:00 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 431 Richmond NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Reception to follow at her home.
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