Joan A. Rose

Joan was born in Saskatchewan, Canada on August 22, 1932 at 2:00 a.m. She was the eldest of 3 children (sister Lois and brother Dale) born to Elsie and Louis Larson. The first home she remembers was a hotel run by her parents that had hotel rooms upstairs and a restaurant and living quarters downstairs in Colonsay, Saskatchewan. Joan was a waitress, cashier and dishwasher at the age of 8; and she also made pies in the morning before school. Joan cared for her brother and sister until she was 9 years old, at which time she and her sister and brother went away to Notre Dame boarding school in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, under the care of Athol Murray (Pere). It was there she spent the remainder of her school years until 1950; and she had many happy memories of that time. Her nickname during her school years was ‘puddle-jumper’, because everyone said that her legs were so short she had to jump over puddles.

After school she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her future husband (Robert [Bob] Rose) in her mother’s restaurant (Called LC’s) as he was a regular customer, & in fact he thought Joan was stealing money from the cash register when she walked in & opened it up; he hadn’t met her yet and was calling out to Elsie that she was being robbed! They married in 1953, and had 3 children: Joe (Joseph) in 1954, Mike (Michael) in 1955 and Susie (Susan) in 1957.

Joan & Bob lived in Santa Monica and Inglewood, and raised their children. Joan worked as a tax preparer, and was also a foster mother to many children, a Girl Scout leader and a Boy Scout den leader. Joan loved children and many of them were to be found in her care throughout the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s.

Joan and Bob moved up to Central Point, Oregon in 1975; and after there for several years Bob suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound. Joan cared for Bob until his death in 1997; she then relocated to Eugene, Oregon and was a caregiver to her grandchildren Cassie and Joe. In 2004 she moved to Long Beach, CA to be closer to her daughter.

Joan was a member of, and active in the Long Beach First Church of the Nazarene; where she regularly attended weekly services, prayer meetings and special events at the church with her daughter. She also took many trips with her family to Hawaii, Oregon Coast, Wyoming, Montana, Canada, Vancouver Island, Virginia, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Missouri.

Throughout her later years Joan was beset by a number of medical issues, and this necessitated a move to an independent senior center at Bixby Towers in Long Beach in the year 2011; where she rented a penthouse apartment with a spectacular view from Long Beach all the way to Los Angeles.

Joan suffered a massive stroke on May 31st, 2014; and left this earth to be with her Lord on June 12th, 2014.

She will be fondly remembered by all who knew and loved her, including her sister Lois Mooney, her Aunt Emma Magnusson, her children – Joe Rose and his wife Anne; Susie Ransom and her husband Randy; Mike Rose; her grandchildren Brian Rose, Joanna Ransom, Margaret Rose, Cassandra (Cassie) Rose, Elizabeth Rose, Robert Rose, Joe Rose; her nieces and nephews: Bill Mooney Jr., Tim Mooney, Mike Mooney, Melissa Mooney, Barbara Mooney, Kelly Fisher, Kathy Wheeler, Patrick Larson, Julie Page, Bridgett Sheerin; her cousins, her dear friends through all her years and also her many good friends at Long Beach First Church of the Nazarene.

Relatives and friends: donations may be made in Joan’s memory to: The Long Beach Rescue Mission or St. Jude’s Hospital in Los Angeles, CA.

Luyben Family Dilday-Mottell Mortuary (562) 425-6401