Obituary of George A. Rose

George A. Rose, 94, of Kingston, MA entered into eternal life on March 9, 2021. Born on November 10, 1926 in W. Newton MA to the late George A. and Agnes J. (Dunn) Rose; the family moved to South Boston shortly after George’s father’s untimely death three years later.  Growing up during the Great Depression, George went to work at the age of 9 pulling a manure wagon a mile or two for a neighbor and in return received a Holy Card as payment.  At age 12, he was earning 10 cents a day at First National Stores while continuing his education.  After graduating high school, he entered the Navy at the age of 17, honorably serving his country in World War II as a Navy Seabee in the Pacific.  Awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Area Medal, and Asiatic Pacific Medal, he returned stateside in 1946 and went to work for a short period of time at MacAllen Co. and Simonds Saw and Steel Co., before spending nearly 30 years with the Boston Edison Company.

In September of 1958 George married Helen J. Kelleher of Canton.  Along with his wife, George enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading and poetry. Carpentry and photography, and anything history or geography related were other hobbies that kept him busy. He constructed an office and playroom, including furnishings in the Weymouth home. However, it was raising their five children and spending time with family in their South Weymouth home that brought him much joy.  They were always volunteering at their children’s activities: St. Francis Xavier Parish events, ballgames in multiple sports, scouts, Drum & Bugle Corps, and teaching CCD classes. Yearly summer trips were made to Antigonish, Nova Scotia to the old Dunn family homestead to spend time with relatives.  The family also enjoyed other travel throughout the eastern part of the United States and Canada. Advocates of education, they were sure to finance all five children’s college education. A devoted son and brother, he regularly visited his mother and sisters as they advanced in age.  After retiring, George and Helen also traveled around Ireland visiting many villages in their ancestral land. George and his wife enjoyed hosting their large extended family for all major holidays in addition to hosting an annual large family and friend cookout, first in South Weymouth and later in Kingston over the last forty years.  In retirement, George and Helen moved to Kingston, where they loved working in the yard, walking in the bogs with their dog, Sandy, and gatherings with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Much of George’s energy was focused on helping others.   While a self-made man of modest means, George was a master at managing money.  He and Helen lived as Gandhi would say ‘simple lives so others could simply live’.  Up into their eighties, they enjoyed shopping for and delivering much needed goods to the local food shelter. They also continued to be faithful visitors, never failing to bring gifts, to the Poor Clare Monastery in Jamaica Plain, even long after the unexpected passing of his sister, Sr. Mary Regina. Together through the years, and hardly a day apart, George and Helen built a church, chapels, several schools, fresh water-well projects, medical dispensaries, and shrines, in Kenya, India, Ecuador, and Cameroon.  They also had several four room houses constructed for the homeless in Ecuador.  Most recently in their 90’s through David’s Rescue Mission Inc., a non-profit they established in western Kenya in 2016, they drilled a well that serves over 3000 villagers with purified water, created a program to provide goats and chickens for self-sustenance, deliver fresh vegetables and grains to villagers, built a Children’s Home for thirty children, and at the time of his death, had just started a dental and medical clinic and solar project.  George and Helen also supported many domestic programs, in particular Native American Reservations in Alaska, Montana, and South Dakota. They were also life-long benefactors to the Propagation of the Faith in Boston.

Up until his death, in addition to focusing on his overseas projects, George continued to read three newspapers a day, drive, surf the internet on his laptop, grocery shop, cook homemade meals every day, always fulfill his civic duties, enjoy his favorite tv programs, even attending to a small garden in his yard.  A man of exceptional character, uncompromising integrity, concerned with injustice in the world, and quick to forgive, he always saw the best and promise in others.  He will be greatly missed by the many whose lives he impacted.

An ever-devoted husband and father, George is survived by his wife Helen of 62 years. He also leaves five children, George Rose, Jr. of Kingston, Susan Rose of Kingston, Mary Ellen (Michael) Colford of Epping, NH, Anne Marie (Charles) Hammond of Kingston, Julie (John) Swanson of Middleboro; eight grandchildren, Brittany (Marco), Brendan, Sean (Delaney) , Erin, Joel (Jeykelisse), Shannon, Matthew, and Caitlin, great-grandchildren, Rowan and Greta, and several nieces and nephews.

He was also the brother of the late Helen (Sr. Mary Regina, OSC) Rose, Mary Costello, and Agnes (Sr. Agnes Ellen, SCN) Rose.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visiting hours, 2-5 P.M. on Sunday at Shepherd’s Funeral Home at 216 Main St. in Kingston. A memorial funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 A.M. at St. Joseph Church, 272 Main St., Kingston on Monday. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Kingston. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to David’s Rescue Mission, at Coastal Heritage Bank, 83 Summer St. Kingston, MA.