Rose Mary Price

Rose Mary Adams Price died May 29, 2017, surrounded by her family, after a hard fought battle with esophageal cancer. Rose Mary was born March 31, 1944 in Portland, Oregon to Genevieve and Walter Adams, one of five children. Rose Mary attended Madeleine School, and was Student Body President at Marycrest High School. She went on to the University of Portland, and eventually got her Masters in Education from Portland State University. Her sons, John and Michael, were her pride, as was her granddaughter Lura. Rose Mary was a fierce advocate for the boys, and worked tirelessly to see them succeed and each graduate from the University of Oregon. The school year nights were spent working with them on homework, or taking them to their activities like Cub Scouts. Rose Mary was especially proud of being a Cub Scout Pack Leader, one of the first women to ever do so. Summers nights were for reading Hardy Boys mysteries or playing guitar with the boys. Rose Mary impressed upon the boys the values of hard work, family first, and the importance of art, travel, and education. As a single parent from early on, Rose Mary displayed a resolve that the boys would have whatever they needed. As she worked on her Master’s Degree, she would put the boys to sleep and then type late into the night. The day she was awarded her degree was a special memory for her and the boys. The degree meant so much because it was a culmination of hard work and sacrifice. Rose Mary loved art, especially West Coast Native American masks. She took the boys on adventures in Mexico in search of masks, that she hung with pride in her home. Her other interests included gardening, sewing, travel, anything Irish or anything about her granddaughter Lura. Lura was her only grandchild, and “Nana” spent as much time as she could with her. When Lura was younger, they would spend weekends together and they would explore storytelling, art, music and anything Lura had an interest in. Lura describes those experiences as loving memories of her Grandmother. Rose Mary began her career in 1977 as a classroom teacher at Sabin, where she eventually became a primary teacher leader. In 1997, Rose Mary went on to become Administrative Assistant at Humboldt, serving as part of the leadership team during the first year of Humboldt’s reconstitution. After five years at Humboldt, Rose Mary went on to become Assistant Principal at Sellwood Middle School. She served as temporary Principal at Rose City Park between December 2003 and January 2004 before returning to her Assistant Principal role at Sellwood. Rose Mary retired from the district at the end of the 2004 school year. Rose Mary was especially interested in integrating art into curriculum. One way she expressed this integration was through organizing Parades that celebrated children’s authors. Notable among the authors she invited are Ezra Jack Keats and Tomie dePaula. Upon her retirement, she continued to serve at Sellwood in several roles, including SUN School coordinator, academic support and substitute teacher. In addition to these part-time positons, she volunteered countless hours in support of Sellwood students. Over the years, Rose Mary served with distinction on a number of district committees and was recognized by district leadership, including former Superintendents Dr. Prophet and Dr. Bierworth, for her expertise and contributions to PPS. Rose Mary is survived by her sons John and Michael, John's wife Jennifer, granddaughter Lura, sister Genevieve and brothers John and Patrick. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Providence Portland Foundation, The Cancer Research Fund, in Rose Mary’s name (4805 NE Glisan Street Suite 1G14 Portland, OR 97213) 503-215-6186. All donations are 100% tax deductible.