Last daughter of Trapp family who inspired 'The Sound of Music' passes away at 93
MANILA, Philippines — Rosmarie Trapp, the last remaining daughter of the family who inspired the Academy Award-winning movie "The Sound of Music," has passed away at the age of 93.
The Trapp family made the announcement on Instagram, saying that when Rosmarie died, she was in the presence of loved ones all day long.
"Her kindness, generosity, and colorful spirit were legendary, and she had a positive impact on countless lives," the family wrote in the caption of the photos of Rosmarie.
The family also asked for privacy, adding that the best way to recognize Rosmarie was to demonstrate the same selfless kindness and generosity she exemplified daily.
Rosmarie was the eldest daughter of Captain Georg von Trapp and his second wife Maria Augusta. Georg had seven children from his first marriage.
In 1938, Rosmarie and her family emigrated to the United States to escape the German occupation of Austria, where the family was pressured to cooperate with the Nazis. It was in the US where they became American citizens using the surname Trapp.
Her obituary said the family settled in Stowe, Vermont where the Trapp Family Lodge can be found to this day. Rosmarie helped at the lodge, as well as worked for five years as a lay missionary and teacher in Papua New Guinea with her half-sister Maria.
Also written in the obituary was Rosmarie's love for creativity, as she led sing-alongs, did calligraphy and knitted for friends and loved ones.
Rosmarie was not part of the original Trapp Family Singers, though she later joined and accompanied them in numerous shows.
Rosmarie is surived by her brother Johannes, the youngest von Trapp sibling and the last remaning member of the Trapp Family Singers, as well as his wife Lynne and several nieces, nephews and family across Europe and in Vermont.
Maria von Trapp's memoir, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," inspired Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II to create the 1959 Broadway musical "The Sound of Music," which won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.
It was then adapted into film in 1965 starring Julie Andrews as Maria and the late Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp, where it went on to win five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Songs best known from the musical include "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "So Long, Farewell," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Edelweiss" and the titular song by Maria.
