Literary agent Rosalind Paige Cole died of cancer on February 20 in New York City. She was 88 years old. In the course of her long career, Cole represented many high-profile authors, actors, artists and celebrities, including Andy Warhol, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Brendan Behan, Jolie Gabor, Doris Lily, George Rodrigue, Charlie Chaplin, Jr., George Sanders, and Sybil Leek.
At age 22 she signed with MGM Records, which billed her as “Singing Star Rosalind Paige.” She toured the country performing in nightclubs, appeared on television, and made records. She married her manager, Carlton Cole, who was 25 years her senior and died in 1959.
She lived for many years with her mother, literary agent Ethel Paige, in the Algonquin Hotel, before moving into the Waldorf Astoria in 1961. She lived there for 53 years, laying claim to the title of longest residing guest at the hotel.
The hotel was featured in several of Cole's own books, including The Waldorf Astoria Cookbook and The Dog That Lived at the Waldorf. She also conceived of and produced the magazine Cookbook Digest. She worked on the magazine for years in the Waldorf lounge, Bull and the Bear. At its peak, the bi-monthly magazine’s circulation reached 400,000.
Cole has no survivors. A memorial service will be held in New York City in June.
