Harry W. Rose

HARRY W. ROSE, 93 years of age, passed away in Boca Raton, Florida. on September 27th. He is survived by his wife Helen and their children Thomas, William, Michael Rose, and Christe Rose Kislia. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and thousands of great grandchildren. Harry was a master plumber, welder, machinist, woodworker, and master craftsman. Among the many things he built for his children were go-karts, mini-bikes and a hand-built swimming pool. Harry was an avid pilot holding private, commercial and instrument ratings. He enjoyed flying his Citabria, Grumann Traveler and Bellanca Viking. Early in his life he became an avid motorcycle enthusiast. Harry rode several motorcycles including a Harley Davidson, Honda, and a BMW. He was a member of the Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois. Harry was also a member of the National Rifle Association and he proudly displayed his concealed weapons license. In 1942, he became an amateur radio operator going by the call letters W9CCE. Later, he became quite proficient on the computer with many e-mail friends. His knowledge, wisdom, love and great sense of humor will be sorely missed by his family and friends. We love you Harry, Dad, Grandpa, W9CCE, H.W. You are so many things to all of us. Rest in peace.

A Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday October 2, 2010 at 10 am at St. Lucy’s Catholic Church in Highland Beach, Florida where Harry was a devoted member for over 30 years.

The following is a tribute from Jill Kislia:

(Memories of Grandpa Rose)

Growing up I was very fortunate spend a lot of time with my Grandparents. I have so many fond memories of the little games we would play or backyard adventures we would go on. Every Sunday after church, it was straight to Grandma and Grandpa's with a box of donuts. Grandpa was always a tough guy. To prove this, he used to tell us punch him as hard as we could. We all thought it was really funny because his abs of steel would hurt a little kid’s hand more than it hurt his stomach. His tough exterior certainly did not transfer over into his display of affection for my sisters and I. He used to hug us and do this funny hearty laugh. I can’t describe it in words. It was just our little thing. And he taught us how to sign “I love you”. We used to tell each other in sign language as they drove away in the car after family dinner. The hugs and I love you’s were only part of what made our relationship so special. As a kid I recall the many Sunday visits. Every time we came to their house Grandpa would create something that would captivate our imagination and attention. He taught us how to shoot BB guns, how to use a really tall ladder as a diving board, how to turn a simple generator and hose into a scuba diving device, how to run a lathe and a drill press. He could take anything he had laying around the house and fashion it into some really cool toy for us to marvel at and play with. And he always left us wanting to know more. Every Hardy Boys story led right up to the really scary really exciting ". . . awe forget it . . . you should read the book." Such was his sense of humor. Then there was the seemingly endless forest behind their house. Grandpa new just how far back to take us before he would throw something when we were not looking, sending all three of us girls into a frenzy and full speed run back to the house. This was a past time that never seemed to get old. While he made us laugh and brought out our adventurous spirits, it wasn’t all fun and games. He certainly let us know when we were acting out of line. He taught us many valuable lessons about respect and humility. He often reminded us of how fortunate we were to have food on the table and a family to enjoy it with. While he had many memorable quotes, one more commonly used phrase was “You can always have more”. And along those lines, we never dared leave a scrap of food on our plate uneaten. Because people are starving all around the world and to be wasteful is an insult to those less fortunate. When we would whine about this and that we had to be careful to not say “I want” because we knew his response would be “People in purgatory want ice water”. It was his way of making us realize that you have to earn the things that you want through hard work and discipline. Being spoiled would not happen under his watch. I am not sure if he realizes how all of these special little moments have shaped my life. I am forever grateful to have grown up with such an amazing role model. He is the reason for the love that our family shares today. To say that I miss Him would be an understatement. And come to think of it, he will always be alive in my thoughts and decisions as my life adventure continues.

Arrangements were under the direction of Babione Funeral Home, Boca Raton, Florida.