Richard Rose

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Dr. Richard Rose, 79, peacefully passed away Sunday, September 22, 2019 in Charlotte, NC. He was born in November of 1944 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Sidney & Jeanne Rose. Richard spent his high school years in Ridley Park, PA and simmered in Margate, NJ.

Richard had a love for music. He had his own jazz band in high school and was first chair trumpet player. He was nominated and played in the Pennsylvania State Band as second chair trumpet player. Richard also ran track in high school and was a hurdler.

Richard served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1967. He was a private E-2 and awarded an “expert” designation for rifle. Richard also wore many hats during his professional career as a pharmacist, chiropractor, and college instructor. He was a pharmacist until the age of 42 when he decided to go back to school at the National Chiropractic School in Chicago. 

He is survived by his wife of 54 years Arlene Rose, his children Janeine Charpiat and Shawn Rose and grandchildren Morgan, Haydn, Max, Rowan and Atticus, and brother Ronald Rose

Richard was predeceased by his father Sidney Rose, mother Jeanne Rose, and cousin Burton Young.

Memorial services will be held Thursday, October 17th, 2019, 2:00PM at Temple Beth El, 5101 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28226.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Jewish War Veterans or American Cancer Society 

Arrangements by Cremation Society of Charlotte, Inc.

Tribute to My Husband, Richard

by Arlene J. Rose

Dr. Richard T. Rose was a very special man.  I know...because I was his wife and lived with him for 54 years.  From the first, I loved his sense of quick humor, wit, originality, and candor.  He was like the old-fashioned stand-up comics known as "one-liners."  He could make jokes about anything.  He was also one of the hardest working people I ever knew.  He began working every Saturday at age seven in his father’s first pharmacy store in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.  He would sweep the floors, polish the glass show cases, and later attend the small soda fountain making milk shakes and icy snow cones.  In the summertime, his family rented a home in Margate, New Jersey.  They would love to fish and go to the beach.  One day, his little brother, Ron, fell off a dock at the bay area.  Despite being a skinny kid who could barely swim, Richard jumped in to save his brother’s life.    Richard was always a hard worker.  When he was thirteen, he and his cousin had their own business selling snow cones from a cart which they peddled to the beach every day.  They each made $300 per week!  Richard saved up enough money to buy his own car, share a boat with his cousin, and pay for his own college education at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.  After finishing college, he enrolled in the army serving for six months as a pharmacist in a medical unit at Fort Knox.  During this period, Richard completed the remaining six years as a reservist in the army attending summer camp every year as well as weekly meetings in the largest medical unit in the country stationed in Philadelphia, Pa. 

During this period, Richard returned to civilian life as a pharmacist.  After thirteen years, the pharmacy industry began to change dramatically.  His father and he lost their three independent pharmacy stores to the large chain stores.  Richard and I then moved to Florida where he went to work for five different pharmacy chains—and they went out of business, too!  We also started a family there and had our fine baby girl and boy. Finally, in 1981, when Richard was forty-one, he went back to college to become a chiropractor.   I encouraged him to do this because no medical doctor had been able to help me neck and back injuries after I was involved in a couple of serious accidents.  After talking to several chiropractors we knew, Richard enrolled in the best chiropractic school in the United States known as the National College of Chiropractor in Lombard, Illinois. This school offered a trimester program which allowed a student to complete a five year program in three years and four months.  So we moved from Florida to Illinois—a big change for us all!  Richard attended school, studied seven days a week, and also worked two part-time jobs as a pharmacist—all this while being a good husband and father.  Richard adored our two small children. Despite the grueling schedule, Richard still made time every night to eat dinner with us and afterwards help with a fun bath time with the kids.  I stayed home and ran a licensed day care center for our children and other little tots.

While Richard worked 47 years of employment in the health field, there were many changes in the industry. To provide for his family, in the early 1990’s he began working three jobs in chiropractic, pharmacy, and also teaching college biology.  No matter what happened, he just kept going.  Despite his heavy work load, he still made time to attend the children’s sporting events, band concerts, and other school activities.  Also, there were happy yearly parties at Chanukah time when we all enjoyed a house full of our children’s friends even up to the time they were adults in graduate school! 

As the years passed, Richard became seriously ill with vascular problems in his legs and I also suffered with health issues and disabilities caused by reckless drivers.  Despite needing major surgeries to save his life, Richard continued to work to support us in our so-called retirement years.   Finally, he had to stop working.  In 2018 his legs simply gave out and he was told that blood clots could kill him.  Despite the pain, he rarely complained.  Then a year later, Richard was struck with cancer.  He continued to fight to live every day and still remained full of humor making jokes up to the end to keep us all in better spirits.  Despite constant pain, he rarely complained.  He was made of “the right stuff.”  Men like Richard are hard to find.  He will be sorely missed.  We were lucky to have him in our lives and we will always remember him with respect and great love...Arlene Rose and family

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard Rose, please visit our floral store.