Chappell Mills Rose

August 15, 1935 - March 8, 2021

Eldest loved son of the late Chap and Miriam Rose; Deeply loved brother of Patricia Veilleux (dec,), Peggy Rose (Denver, CO), Genny Rose (Camarillo, CA), Mark Rose (Las Vegas, NV), Pete Rose (dec.), and Nelle Rose (New Plymouth, New Zealand); Treasured and loved uncle of Mark Goldstein, Jennifer Goldstein, Melissa Waddington , Emily Miller and Cheyenne Zigmund; Treasured and loved granduncle of Hailey Goldstein, Will Goldstein, Tamarack McJunkin, Escher Zigmund, and Keisha Zigmund; Loved by many cousins, including Gene Nelson and Family, Rufus Rose, Christopher Rose, Susie Bainbridge and Family, Carol Rose, and Nancy and Chuck Mills.

Billy blazes in our hearts and minds as a man with an exuberance and reverence for life and a pulse for adventure. His quest to understand deeply, teach generously, and adventure joyfully touched and inspired those of us so very lucky to know him. Throughout his educational progression from Jordan School in Waterford, CT through to Buckley and New London High Schools, the US Navy, UConn (BA), Harvard (EdM), and Florida Institute of Technology (MS), he evolved a deeply questioning and meditative soul fired by a razor keen and analytical mind. Beyond the Western halls of scientific and technological academia and a wonderfully diverse professional career in California, Boston, Seattle, Connecticut, Dominican Republic--and finally in Melbourne, Florida, his passionate and accomplished journey embraced Eastern and Native American cosmologies. Along the way, this Sigma Pi Sigma physicist explored smoke lodges, Buddhism, macrobiotics, and chanting - and philosophically sought a Yin Yang metaphysical meld with quantum physics, dots and qubits. He bicycled across the USA, Europe, China, Vietnam, and New Zealand--slowly savoring his rice balls wrapped in seaweed as he pedaled. Whether delivering the New London Day newspaper as a kid, designing an optical navigational instrument for Apollo spacecraft, turning over logs in the woods to uncover salamanders and lizards, listening for bird calls that he knew, relishing his love of lakes through his research in ecological limnology, cruising the sunlit countryside and fresh air in a brightly-colored ragtop convertible or Indian motorcycle, cheering for the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics, participating in book clubs with friends in Florida, coordinating his outfit in bright hues with matching watch and sunglasses, technically crafting his sister’s CD, cherishing walks with Tucker and Abby and playing with Sherman, appreciating music through chamber concerts and crooning in the shower, chewing each mouthful of sushi 100 times, and sharing adventurous bodysurfing, bicycle trips, hikes on mountains, riverbanks and behind waterfalls with his family and friends--Billy was living a full, fun, loving and meaningful life for 85 years. Children, his students, and adults alike connected easily and often deeply with his youthful spirit, sense of humor and playfulness. He was a beloved teacher and counselor, and TV host of the Mister Bill show, a children’s program bringing the wonders of science and nature to life.

Bill’s family is so grateful to all the wonderful staff at Mountain Vista Senior Living Community in Wheat Ridge, Colorado for their loving care of Bill in recent years. During this traumatic and weird time of the Covid pandemic we were able to Zoom and talk with Billy across the digital divide from near and far. And in his final days--a brother, sister, niece, and nephew at long last were able to touch him and convey all our love and feel his loving response.

As the waves break on the shore, ever contracting and expanding in the yin and yang of time, picture Billy’s love for the warmth of sunshine reflecting in his brown eyes and smile--bringing greater love, light, understanding and joy into this world. As he would say, “We are all connected—at one with the universe; and everything is in divine order.”