Worthington High Schools Alumni Club - Deceased Classmates
First Name
Rosemary
Maiden Name
Holtsberry
Last Name
Barboza
Passing Date
8/23/2026
Class Attended
1972
High School
Worthington High School
Rosemary Sue (Holtsberry) Barboza, age 71, passed away on August 23, 2026. She was born on September 27, 1954, in Zanesville, Ohio to the late John William Nethers and Barbara Jean Ramsey. Rosemary was a dedicated, highly gifted educator in Los Angeles California, Franklin, Belmont and Licking Counties in Ohio. She initially received her Bachelorette degree from Milligan College, and later pursued her Master's degree from The Ohio State University. Rosemary taught for nearly 40 years, finishing her career at Licking Valley High School in 2012. During her career she taught adults English as a second language, children with learning disabilities and English and Spanish to high school students. She gave her all to her students, taking a vested interest in each student's educational journey and doing her best to help them succeed. Her impact on the lives of the countless students she taught continues to ripple through the community. Surviving Rosemary are her son, Juan Barboza and grandson, Juan Antonio Barboza (her joy in life) of Newark, Ohio, ; maternal half-sister, Tera Arthur of Yellow Springs, Ohio; maternal half-brother, Fred Holtsberry of Westerville, Ohio; paternal half-sisters, Peggy (Michael) Petrill of Hopewell, Ohio and Cathy (Howard) Boykin of Thornville, Ohio; paternal half-brother, John (Michelle) Nethers of Louisville, Kentucky; foster sister, Mellody Pennington of Palm Harbor, Florida; two special aunts Darlene Lentz and Carolyn Bretz and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Antonio "Tony" Martinez, in 1994; father, John William Nethers, in 2001; mother, Barbara Jean Ramsey, in 2018 and her paternal half-sister, Lorrie (Nethers) Abel, in 2016.
