ELLA DORCAS ROSE

ROSE, ELLA DORCAS, 92, died June 13, 2013 in Orlando, FL.. Born September 23, 1920 in Quitman, GA to Oscar Thomas and Ella Robinson Thomas; Ella Dorcas Rose was the ninth of ten children. She was the loving wife of Theodore M. Rose and mother of Theodore M. Rose II, (both deceased in 1984). She is survived by daughter, Dr. Elena Rose Reece of Washington DC, an allergist and professor at Howard University Medical School. She has four grandchildren, Brian Banks, Tosha Whitsett, Tara Van Dyke and Lori Simone Grimes, and nine great grandchildren. She is also survived by an older brother, Samuel Thomas (age 100) and an older sister Ollie M. Barron (age 94) and numerous nieces and nephews. After settling in Orlando, FL in 1946, Dorcas Rose was a longstanding member of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, a charter member of the Bridgadette Club of Orlando, Inc., a charter member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc - Beta Xi Chapter, and a charter member of the Orlando chapter of The Alphabettes (the wives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.). She served as a mentor to many students over the years in all of her teaching positions. She always promoted the value of education. One of her most famous mentees is Lucille O'Neal, the mother of Shaquille O'Neal, whom she encouraged to continue her education and who eventually earned Bachelor and Master degrees. In keeping with her encouragement of higher education the Bridgadette Club for decades has offered the Dorcas Rose scholarship to the debutante with the highest S.A.T. scores. As a young woman, Dorcas Rose attended Georgia Normal (now Albany State Univ.) and Georgia State in Savannah GA but obtained her Bachelor's degree from Florida A&M College (now FAMU) in 1945. She earned a Masters Degree in Home Economics from New York University where she later obtained certification in guidance. She pursued further studies in guidance at Atlanta University. She was employed for 44 years in the Orange County School system. Initially she taught Home Economics at Charles R. Drew School in Winter Garden, then special education students at Eccleston School. Her final position was as a guidance counselor at Oak Ridge High School. Dorcas Rose was a generous contributor to the community and has positively affected the lives of many. She will be greatly missed by her family, neighbors and community members. Memorial service will be held June 29, 2013 at 11AM at The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist; 1000 Bethune Dr, Orlando. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the E. Dorcas Rose Scholarship Fund through Bridgadette Club of Orlando Inc., P.O. Box 617134, Orlando FL 32861 - Attn: Joyce J. Jones.


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