Mary Jo Diemer loved a good challenge – one reason she had considerable success in promotional products sales.

“Mary Jo got the most satisfaction when a difficult job was complete and the customer was delighted,” says her husband and business partner Thom Wilson.

Mary Jo Diemer, Rosebud Marketing Group (asi/312076)

Indeed, over a 35-year-long career in the promo business, Diemer made a habit of bringing smiles to the faces of clients. It’s part of her legacy following the passing of the 79-year-old former president of Southern California-based distributorship Rosebud Marketing Group (asi/312076).

While Mary Jo and Thom made their lives and living in SoCal, Diemer’s roots were in the Midwest, her husband shares. That background, he says, imbued her with a certain outgoing nature she took wherever she went, helping her build relationships with a range of clients.

“Mary Jo was born in Cleveland, OH, and she brought those Midwest values to California,” Wilson says. “She never met a stranger, and whenever she went to a party, she immediately got to know almost everybody in the room.”

Wilson and Diemer were married for 48 years. They started Rosebud Marketing in 1999. Wilson continues to manage and operate the business following Diemer’s passing.

Born June 5, 1945, Diemer was the oldest of nine children. She graduated from John Carroll University and worked for Sears in Chicago and later Hang Ten Jeans in Los Angeles before entering promo. She loved to cook in her spare time and was proud of the distributorship she’d built with Wison.

“Twenty-five years later, that business is still thriving,” an obituary read.

Beyond Wilson, Diemer is survived by her brothers Dennis, Kenneth and Michael, and sisters Ellen, Marjorie, Carol and Bonnie.