A grave side funeral service for William A. “Bill” Rose, 91, of Beaumont will be held Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in the Oak Bluff Memorial Park Cemetery in Port Neches, Texas.
Bill was born on February 15, 1927 in Beaumont, Texas to the late William Gilbert Rose and Elgia Mae (English) Robin and passed away January 6, 2019 surrounded by family at Christus Dubuis Acute Care Hospital in Beaumont, Texas.
He was a devoted husband, father, family man, and friend to all who knew him throughout his life. He was a proud World War II Navy veteran who served in the South Pacific and later helped occupy Japan before he returned home to Nederland, Texas. Following his service to the nation, he became a journeyman carpenter and worked in a number of trades in the Jefferson County area. In 1948, he became a Beaumont Police Department motorcycle patrolman and was proud of his service with the department. In 1950 he started working at Employers Casualty Company as an investigator and claims representative. He studied and earned certifications as a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Associate in Claims (AIC) among other certifications. He retired from Employers Casualty Company over 40 years later as one of their leading sales representatives. He was self taught at paint and body work, welding, bricklaying, operating heavy equipment, and was truly a jack-of-all trades.
He had friends of all ages, races, and creeds. He loved to talk and would impart his life’s experiences, wisdom, philosophies, jokes, and opinions with anyone who took the time to visit or talk with him. His quick wit and unique sense of humor will be missed.
He loved shooting sports, hunting, fishing, the outdoors, and spent many hours, days, and weeks engaging in these various endeavors with family and friends. His most loyal hunting partner was his wife, Rose Mary. He enjoyed the almost daily games of dominoes with his family and friends and was a competitive player to the very end.
He also lived by his creed of being kind to everyone, especially little children and small animals. He had numerous cats, including Henry, Precious, Priceless, and Katie, who were his devoted friends and gave him years of comfort and company. He was a “squirrel whisperer” and he would spend hours on his back porch hand feeding squirrels and birds all while talking to friends and family who stopped by to visit.
He loved and cared for his family, his friends, his cats, and helping others. He will be remembered by his family and friends as being a very loving, caring and generous person.
Those left to cherish his memory are his children; Wayne and Sharon Rose, William G. Sr. and Lisa Rose, Robert J. Sr. and Vicki Rose, Mary Jane and Frank "Butch" Berwick, Patricia Rose, Brandon Rose, "adopted son" George Gordon Oge, III; grandchildren, William A. Rose II, Jessica Rose, Virginia Rose, Robert J. Jr. and Meggan Rose, Sarah Rose, Jennifer Rose, William G. Jr. and Megan Rose, Laura Rose Gold and HT Gold, Richard Rose, Gerald Rose, Brent Berwick, Jamie Torres, John and Felicia Rose, Catherine and Lee Grantz, Emelyn Rose, Macallan Rose; and six great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Rose Mary Rose, née Oge; his sister, Mary Ellen Jacob; his half-sisters, Minnie Scott, Beatrice Aldridge, and Martha Hawkins; and granddaughter, Emily Rose Larson.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s name be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children – Houston, Texas.