Rose Chun Sen

Rose Chun Sen, 89, passed away at home on December 20, 2011. She was a retired Family Court Clerk under Judge Samuel P. King and Judge Betty Vitousek. She is survived by her sister, Margaret C. Wong; daughters, Lani M. Sen Woltmann and Mona Sen Rowe; hanai son, Robert Rowe; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, January 20, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. at Lanikai Beach Park, followed by a gathering for family and close friends at 10:30 a.m., Mid Pacific Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to any of the following organizations.

Child & Family Service: http://www.childandfamilyservice.org/cfs.php?id1=6&id2=10

Hawaii Meals on Wheels: http://www.hmow.org/

Hospice Hawaii: http://www.hospicehawaii.org/

Disability Rights Legal Center: www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org

Arrangements under the direction of Borthwick Mortuary, Honolulu, HI.

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A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Rose, Mom, Grandma, Tata, Grandma Rose, Great-granny Rose, Aunty Rose. These are all names for Rose Chun Sen, a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a co-worker and a good friend to many. Rose lived a full and wonderful 89 years, dying peacefully on December 20, 2011, at her home in St. Louis Heights, where she raised a family with her husband, Joseph Sen.

Rose is survived by her sister, Margaret C. Wong; two daughters, Lani M. Sen Woltmann and Mona Sen Rowe; a hanai son, Robert Rowe; four grandchildren – Kim and Tai Woltmann, and Courtney and Allison Rowe; and one great-grandchild, Sen Moscardi Rowe. Her husband Joe died in 1991.

- The Early Years -

Rose was the youngest of four children in the Chun family. Her father, Chin Him, was a doctor, practicing traditional Chinese medicine. The growing Chinese community in Honolulu reached across the Pacific to China to seek his services. Chin visited, liked what he saw, and brought the family over.

Rose was born on April 12, 1922, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was given her English name by the midwife so she would have it when she entered kindergarten.

She was considered a bright child, the top student at Mun Lun Chinese school according to Aunty Jenny (Jenny Sen Wong). Rose graduated from McKinley High School.

- Marriage, Family and Career -

Rose and Joe met when both were working for the Navy at Pearl Harbor. They married in January 1946 and started building a house on Herman Street.

Joe said he married Rose not only for her beauty but also for her brains. Encouraged by him, Rose attended the University of Hawaii and graduated with a BA in economics. She would remind her daughters that she finished in three years while raising two young children!

So she marched out with a degree in economics and immediately found a job as . . . a secretary! A sign of the times.

Rose first worked at the Attorney General's office, which was then located in Iolani Palace. Waiting for pau hana, her two girls would play under the banyan trees and explore the children's collection in the Hawaii State Library next door, on the corner of King and Punchbowl. Then the AG’s office moved to the office building now depicted in the new television series as Hawaii 5-0’s headquarters.

From the Attorney General’s Office, Rose went to the Hawaii Judiciary and worked with a number of distinguished jurists, including Rhoda Lewis, first female Hawaii Supreme Court Justice; and Jack Mizuha, Associate Supreme Court Justice and a World War II hero.

Rose then spent many years at the Family Court, first with Judge Samuel P. King and later with Judge Betty Vitousek. She retired at age 55.

- An Active Retirement -

In retirement for more years than she worked, Rose was always busy. Initially, she helped Joe in his business, Hawaii Furniture and Appliances. Joe shipped in every new home appliance or improved model, believing that these machines would help free women from household drudgery. Rose’s job was to read the manual, learn how to operate the machine, and do home demonstrations.

Well into her 80s, she was emailing family and friends on the Mainland and having online exchanges with her Kaiser physicians.

Brains, indeed!

When their children were in high school, Rose and Joe took up golf. The game became an excuse to travel, and they went on golf trips around the world, often with Ben Sen, Gordon Gillis and Charlie Young.

- About the Knitting . . . -

Everyone remembers Rose with knitting needles in hand. She said she got started by answering a call for women to knit for soldiers during WWII. From socks and caps, she advanced to cable-knit sweaters. But she had no real outlet until her girls headed to the Mainland, Lani for law school in California and Mona for graduate school in Pennsylvania. Lani settled in sunny Los Angeles. Mona put down roots in New York. Guess who has the biggest collection of hand-knit sweaters made by Rose?

In more recent years, Rose would help Aunty Juanita (Juanita Sen Wo) stitch together sweater pieces for a nephew on the Mainland.

- The Family Tree -

Chin Him married Cho Shee. They had four children: George (adopted), Margaret (whose Chinese name is Chow Yuk, or Autumn Jade), Herman (who, according to cousin Cathy Chun Shepherd, took the family name “Chun”), and Rose (Choy Yuk, or Vegetable Jade).

Rose Choy Yuk Chun married Joseph Sam Sen. They had two daughters, Lani Mae and Mona Lei.

Lani married Charles Woltmann. They have two daughters, Kim Malia Sen Woltmann and Tai Kalea Sen Woltmann. Kim married Nate Rogers-Madsen in 2010.

Mona married Michael Rowe. They also have two daughters, Courtney Ka'ohinani Rowe and Allison Makani'olu Rowe. Courtney married Matt Moscardi in 2006, and they have a daughter, Sen Elaine Moscardi Rowe, born last year.

Rose and Joe always considered Robert Rowe, Mona’s brother-in-law, as their hanai son. Bob married Crystal Valenciano of Kauai, and they have a son and daughter, Logan Perry and Whitney Keani.

Rose’s life was filled with family, friends and love. We all miss her dearly.

- Mona Rowe and Lani Woltmann

January 20, 2012