"Sorry for your loss and my condolences to the family. Don sure was a character and I enjoyed sharing stories with him about each others time in service and the different shenanigans each of us pulled. He had an infectious laugh! I have nothing but good memories of him. A very kind man and generous of his time and support of our local communities. R.I.P. Don!??You earned your wings!"
In loving memory of
Don Rose
June 20, 1936 - April 15, 2024
Don Rose, of Elton, died Monday, April 15, 2024, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was 87 years old. He was born on June 20, 1936, in the Town of Evergreen, a son of Winfred Rose and Mary (Meeks) Rose Laehn. He married Patricia A. Ramer on February 26, 1955.
He attended Elton Grade School and White Lake High School. In 1954, Don enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Bennington and USS Hornet until his honorable discharge in 1959.
Don and Pat raised their family in Kenosha while he worked for Johnson Motors, American Motors, and later Abbott Laboratories for 30 years until his retirement in 1993. After retiring at the age of 57, he and Pat returned to Elton where they built their dream home and enjoyed his 31 years of retirement.
Don was a member of the White Lake Anderson-Sather American Legion Post 524 serving as the Finance Officer for many years and a member of St. James and Stanislaus Parish. He also was a past chairman for the Elton School Preservation Society.
He enjoyed hunting and was a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan. Don attended his first Packer game at the age of 86 with a victorious win over the Chicago Bears. "Go Pack Go!"
Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Patricia Rose of Elton; two daughters, Katherine (George) Borst of Pleasant Prairie and Rebecca Rose-Alan of Gilbert, Arizona; son, Michael (Julie) Rose of Pleasant Prairie; eight grandchildren, Morgan (Valerie) Cucciare-Barlett, Jeremiah (Allyson) Rose, Michael (Carrie) Borst, Gregory (Misty) Borst, Cody (Brooke) Ryback, Shane Rose, Travis Ryback, and Joshua (Dayna) Rose; thirteen great-grandchildren; five sisters, Carol Pilon Stevenson, Peggy Black, Shirley (Dan) Bradish, Jean (John) Mignone, and Marilyn Rose; two brothers, Robert (Rita) Rose and Terry (Cathy) Rose; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Donald Lee Rose; son-in-law, James Alan; and father and mother-in-law, Clyde and Ethel (Bebeau) Ramer.
A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 20, at 11 a.m. at St. James and Stanislaus Catholic Church in White Lake with Rev. George Daniel officiating. Burial will take place in St. Joseph Cemetery in Elton with Military Honors.
Visitation will be on Friday, April 19 from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Bradley Funeral Home. A time of sharing will take place at 6:30 p.m.
Visitation will continue on Saturday at St. James and Stanislaus Catholic Church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass.
Tributes
"Pat, we're so sorry for your loss. We're going to miss him too."