Ruby Jean Rose

Ruby was born in Oak Hill, WV, on October 6, 1938, to the late Alvin Harrison Ellison, Sr., and Ethel Marie Campbell Ellison; she was the oldest of 13 children. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 30 years, Charles Franklin Osborne on April 14, 2009 (married November 4, 1979); her former husband Leonard Robert Rose; her parents; five brothers, Melvin L. "Sonny" Ellison, Robert Ellison Sr, Charles Ellison, James Ray Ellison, and Ricky Lynn Ellison; three sisters, Linda C. Selke, Judy Kay Helton, and Natella G. Archer; one granddaughter, Melissa Ann Tome; one great-granddaughter, Chloe Marie Gdowski.

Survivors include: her daughters, Charlena Gayle Tome of Beaverdam, VA, Imogene Rose of Monrovia, MD, and Dawn Dee Hartman-Windsor of Brunswick, MD; two brothers, Alvin H. "Butch" Ellison of Lookout, WV, and Jennings Kent Ellison (Kathy) of Oak Hill, WV; two sisters, June Archer of Waynesboro, VA, Joetta McBride of Damascus, MD; five granddaughters, Regina Schaffer (Tim), Vanessa Hyson (Brandon) of Elkins, WV, Stephanie Windsor of Brunswick, MD, Tiffany Windsor-Gdowski (Craig) of Brunswick, MD, and Jennifer Hyson of Monrovia, MD; two grandsons, Evan Windsor of Blue Ridge Summit, PA, and Bradley Windsor of Brunswick, MD; eighteen great-grandchildren, Christine, Michael, Andrew, Kimberly, William, Fabio, Brittney, Emily, Jonathan, Christian, Daniel, Ruby, Tiffany Young, Jamison Gdowski, Christian Windsor, Colton Gdowski, Julian Nelson, and Haley Young; three great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, foster children who became family over the years; longtime friend, Gaye Knapp; and her furbabies: dog, Princess; and cats, Buddy, Mommy Cat & Squeaky. Ruby also kept outside homes with heaters for the feral cats that she made sure to feed daily.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to caregivers Bernard Earl Archer & Amanda Butler. Your time and effort in caring for our beloved family member will never be forgotten. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Ruby enjoyed spending time with her family & friends. Most weekends you could find her at her camper at the Wilderness Presidential Resort in Spotsylvania, VA. She would often take the grandkids for a weekend of fun; swimming in the pool, playing miniature golf, painting ceramics, driving around in the golf cart, and getting snacks at the camp store. She could also be competitive. She loved playing Bingo, cheering for the Dallas Cowboys only to tease her husband, and watching Wheel of Fortune. Ruby comes from a long line of jokesters, where trying to scare each other was the ultimate prank. There was always fun & laughter at family gatherings.

Ruby was employed most recently at Spotsylvania County as a School Bus Aide (3 years), and before that, she worked as an Assembler/Forman in Manufacturing at the following four companies: DRT (8 years), Apcom (8 years), Triton Engineering (3 years), and Watkins Johnson Company (22 years).

Ruby was a member of The Full Gospel Church in Woodford, VA. She, along with the help of her younger sister, Joetta, who lived with her at the time, took care of many foster children over the course of 30 years. Amber, Darby, Dawn, Joseph, Mary, Natalie, Ricky, Shelly & Tiffany all held a special place in Ruby’s heart.

On Saturday, November 25, 2023, family & friends will gather for Visitation at DeVol Funeral Home in Gaithersburg, MD, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. Funeral Service will occur from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm with Pastor Joey Kincer officiating. If you are unable to attend, the services will be live-streamed/recorded viz Zoom, Click Here to Register.

Burial will follow at Parklawn Memorial Park and Menorah Gardens in Rockville, MD. If you are unable to attend the burial, the family invites you via Zoom, Click here. After, family will be gathering for an early dinner in Frederick, MD, of which friends are welcome to join. Pallbearers will be family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ruby Jean Rose can be made to Alley Cat Allies, as she had a deep passion and love for helping all animals, especially cats (https://www.alleycat.org/make-a-donation-today/). Thank you in advance.

A memorial service will also be held at Ruby’s church, The Full Gospel Church in Woodford, VA, on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 2 pm with Pastor Millie Mabe officiating.