Patricia Rose

When reflecting on the life of Patricia Rose, words such as hardworking, gracious, and compassionate come to mind, but it will be her selfless nature in all things that will be her lasting legacy. She was a woman who was content in whatever life brought, never concerning herself with chasing the elusive American dream as she made caring for others her mission in life. Pat was blessed to spend the majority of her days alongside her true love with whom she raised the children who made her so very proud. Being a mother seemed to be a role that was tailor made just for Pat, but she just may have argued that it was becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother that was her richest reward. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those too numerous to count.

The days of the 1920s were predominantly prosperous ones where manufacturing was a bustle of numerous advancements that transformed the way we lived our everyday lives. With inventions such as the washing machine and the refrigerator, American homes were forever changed for the better. The days of being footloose and fancy free came to a screeching halt with the crash of the stock market in October of 1929, which sent our nation and much of the world spiraling down into the depths of the Great Depression. It was about one year before this crushing day that a young couple from Detroit, Michigan, was thrilled to announce the birth of their baby girl on September 5, 1928. Patricia was welcomed into the world by her parents, Earl and Ruth Minnie, and was raised in the family home. Her father was a salesman and entrepreneur while her mother focused her attention at home. Pat, as she was usually known, was a student at local schools including Cody High School on Detroit’s West side. The Minnie family was not immune to the days of hardship due to the unrelenting grip of the Great Depression, but together they weathered the storm.

Life was forever changed for Pat when she met the love of her life as a young woman. His name was Richard Rose, and they met at a friend’s party. After dating for a time, the couple found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together Patricia and Dick were united in marriage at a Catholic church in Detroit in the late forties. The newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon on Black Lake in Northern Michigan and returned home where they settled into their new roles as husband and wife.

At first Pat and Dick lived with his parents. The year 1952 was a year for great celebration as they built their home in Livonia, and it was also the year that they welcomed the birth of their first child, Richard Jr. Their family later grew to include eight more children: Ruth in 1954, Alice in 1955, John in 1958, William in 1961, James in 1962, Thomas in 1964, Anne in 1967, and Steve in 1969.

Their lifelong home in Livonia was always a flurry of activity. Pat loved Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, and Memorial Day was also a time for celebration as her husband’s birthday was at that time. Labor Day was also special because Pat’s birthday was around that same time of year as well. As a family they enjoyed several fun-filled vacations to places such as Burt Lake, Little Bear Lake, and Black Lake. These times were spent doing so many memorable things like swimming, boating, and blueberry picking. They even took a trip to Mackinac Island where they had a blast riding bikes around the island. Sundays were primarily a day to spend as a family and filled with traditions as well like bagels after church and a big family dinner with everyone at home, too. When they were younger Pat and Dick loved to go out bowling and being part of a neighborhood group who got together at each other’s homes to play cards. When the Rose home was the place for cards the children would serve drinks and snacks, earning tips from the card players. Of course Pat’s kids loved hosting!

In addition to caring for her family, Pat’s journey was enriched in other ways. She worked as a book keeper, first for St. Pricilla’s Credit Union and later for Van Ess Auto Repair in Livonia. Pat was also a sports enthusiast who loved the Red Wings and Tigers first and foremost as she watched them on television and also went to several games in person. Sunday afternoons mainly found Pat watching the Tigers games or listening to the games on the radio while she was doing laundry. She was also both a Lions fan and a Spartan fan, too. She was always open to learning new things, which is one of the reasons she loved to read. Pat’s favorite author was Elmore Leonard.

Later in life Pat continued to fully embrace the days she was given, even when there were trying times. She took computer lessons, and after Richard’s death she bought a piano and took piano lessons. Pat also did some traveling with her family during her sunset years, too, taking in the sights in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Las Vegas, New York, and Disney World. She also went to Lakeland, Florida, to see spring training for the Tigers, which was something that had been on her bucket list. Grandchildren were the best part of growing older, and she was blessed with 26 grandchildren through the years, which later grew to include 21 great-grandchildren, too.

With unending love for and devotion to her family, Patricia Rose was a blessing in every way. As a mother of nine children she focused on their needs first, which meant that it was often she who went without. Pat has also been described as an Irish Renegade who was one to put the spice into life. Generous, humble, and gentle, she will be dearly missed while her memory is forever cherished.

Patricia Rose died on September 12, 2013. Pat’s family includes her children, Richard, Ruth Love, Alice (Chris) Kinder, John, William (Zana), James, Thomas, Anne (Paul) Doulette and Steven (Kathy); 26 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Richard. Visitation will be held on Saturday, 12 noon until the time of funeral service 5 p.m. at Neely-Turowski Life Story Funeral Home, 30200 Five Mile (West of Middlebelt). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Leah's Happy Hearts, www.LeahsHappyHearts.org. You may share a memory and sign the guest book before coming to funeral home at www.TurowskiLifeStory.com