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Jerry D. Rose

Jerry Rose

Jerry D. Rose was born in Norman, Oklahoma on July 20, 1933 and died in Gainesville, FL on October 6, 2019. The son of the late Cecil and Ruth Rose. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and served in the U.S. Army where he was a personnel officer and defense counsel for a military court. He then obtained at University of Wisconsin a Phd degree in Sociology, a field in which he authored 7 textbooks and taught at Southwestern State College, NYU and Fredonia State where, before his retirement, he was chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for

several years. Before and after his retirement he edited and published research journals on the John F. Kennedy assassination for which he received a Lifetime Achievement award.Throughout his academic career, Jerry was active in community theatre in both NY and FL as an actor, director, playwright and theatre leader. As well he became active in both states as a campaign manager for liberal candidates for local up to presidential offices. After his retirement, Jerry developed a great interest in writing and publishing humorous poems about a wide variety of human situations, with over 500 such poems on which he was still working at the time of his death. Besides publishing these, he has recited them at numerous events and at assisted living facilities. The newspaper of his hometown, the Ringling Eagle, ran as a “Knee Slapper” one of his poems each week.

Jerry was predeceased in death by 2 sisters Patsy June and Mary Sue.Survived by his first wife, LoVetra Schwartz-Rose, three children, Christopher (Johanita) Rose of Flowery Branch, GA, Keilly Rose of Fredonia, NY, Kara (Lola) Rose of Aurora, CO, grandchildren Robert Rose, Ashley Walls, Taylor Rose, great grandson Greyson. His second wife, Barbara Rose, predeceased him. Survived by Jason Van Rensselaer and Jodi Lowe, also Brenda Rose and

several nieces and nephews. He later married/ divorced Vivian Dick of Gainesville, FL, who also survives him.If someone should want to make a memorial gift, in his memory, to a local community theatre or give a book to a library, school, or hospital.A memorial service will

be held October 28, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. at UUCNC, 222 Temple St, Fredonia, NY. Prayers will be held in Smith Mills Cemetery, Smith Mills, NY at 10 a.m.