Adolph J. Rose

Adolph J. Rose, 97, of Trumbull died at St. Joseph's Health Center in Trumbull December 13, one week before his 98th birthday. Born December 20, 1917 in White Plains, NY, he was raised in Trumbull and was the husband of the late Ann Bogart Rose. He was a quiet and shy man whose life was his family. Like so many of his generation, Adolph left school during the Great Depression to help support his family. He traveled the country hitch hiking and jumping freight trains searching for work. He took whatever was available including being a roustabout for Ringling Bros. Circus and working in a gold mine in Alaska. In 1945 he married Ann, his childhood sweetheart and the sister of his best friend, John. While still a child Adolph decided that when he grew up he would buy the house across the street from his family's home. It took him a year to convince the owners to sell but he and Ann bought the house in their second year of marriage.
Adolph remodeled the house and later built a swing set and seesaw for his children. He took them for long walks in the nearby woods and taught them to look under fallen leaves for hickory nuts and how to break the shells. He showed them the swimming holes and campfire rocks he had used as a boy. He had a grapevine and every year planted the Italian staples of tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants. When rabbits and woodchucks stole from his garden he shrugged his shoulders and said animals need to eat too. Even this past summer he spent hours enjoying his property, studying the newly resided shed he had built thirty years earlier, and watching the bees feed from dandelions, his favorite flowers. Surrounded by the family's dogs, he watched squirrels and birds in the day and fireflies at night. Adolph saw no point in traveling during vacations saying he had already seen the country and there was nothing better than being in his own yard. He lived with his daughters until August of this year, when they could no longer address his medical needs. Although Adolph went to trade school and became one of the best tool cutter grinders in the area, he regretted having to leave school before graduating. He read encyclopedias, history books, speech anthologies and poetry. He relentlessly stressed the importance of education and so the thing of which he was most proud was that his children have a total of seven degrees and each has at least one Master's degree.
When he entered St. Joseph's last August Adolph kept saying he was lonely because he had outlived his wife and all his friends and there was no one left to visit him. His daughters visited everyday, brought home made food, and often brought Charlie, his favorite dog, but his sadness continued. That changed when he got a roommate, Victory Curtiss. They had long talks, looked out at the beautiful view from their dining hall and helped each other. Together they watched the evening news, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and the Yankees. Vic was with Adolph at the end.
In addition to his wife, Adolph was predeceased by his brothers William, Joseph, Anthony and Steve Rose; his sisters Carmella Murcko, Adeline Pulscak, Lucy Maynik and Louise Rose. He is survived by daughters Carol Rose and Patricia Rose with whom he lived; son Thomas and wife Patty, sister Dolores Chisarik; God daughter Billie Brooks who opened her home to him when the floors were refinished at his home, who visited him and who never missed his birthday or a holiday; Beth Brooks who visited regularly and brought donuts; many nieces and nephews, especially Donald and Roger Wheeler; a special great niece, Joyce Fillebrown; his beloved Charlie who always made him smile; and Victory Curtiss who eliminated his loneliness and gave him friendship when he needed it most. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church on Second Hill Lane in Stratford on Friday December 18, 2015 at 11:15 AM. In lieu of flowers please consider a contribution to the Trumbull Animal Shelter (where Charlie came from) 5095 Main St. Trumbull, Ct. 06611 or the African Wildlife Federation (to help its efforts to save elephants, Adolph's favorite wild animal) P.O. Box 6082 Albert Lea, MN 56007. For information or to sign an online guest register please visit www.spearmillerfuneralhome.com