Gay B. Rose

Gay Rose, 93, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on February 24, 2025, at Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, in Littleton.
Born in Westerly, Rhode Island on September 2, 1931, Gay was the only child of Charles and Margery Blake. Gay was raised in Westerly, where she graduated from Westerly High School in 1949.
Gay then graduated from Rhode Island College in 1953, becoming an elementary school teacher. Shortly after graduation, she married the love of her life, John Rose. They settled in Newtonville, Massachusetts, where she taught for a year, before welcoming their first daughter, Margery. As the family subsequently moved to New York and New Jersey, they welcomed daughters Kathy, Nancy, and Cindy. Eventually, they settled in Acton, Massachusetts in 1965, where the family enjoyed a close-knit life together.
Gay returned to teaching in the 1970s as a classroom teacher in the second and third grades at the Paul P. Gates School in Acton where she taught until her retirement. Her love and support of her students was evident to all in the school community.
In addition to being an educator, Gay was an avid volunteer. Through her 50+ years as a church member of the Acton Congregational Church, she served as an usher and a member of various committees, including Mission and Outreach and the Service League. She also served as a parent aide in Littleton, and in later years, at the Household Goods Ministry in Acton. In addition, she was an active participant in the Acton Women's Club, the Acton Garden Club, the American Association of University Women, and the Littleton Council on Aging.
Gay experienced many challenges in her life, both personal and medical. She was predeceased by her daughter, Kathy, who died at the age of 17 to leukemia. Gay also lost her husband, John, suddenly of a heart attack, 10 years later. Through these painful losses, and her own numerous medical challenges, Gay exhibited grace and a steely sense of perseverance, in never giving up. She attributed this attitude to faith, and her loving family and friends.
For the past 22 years, Gay lived with her daughter, Cindy and her family, in Littleton, Massachusetts. Gay enjoyed traveling with her friends and former colleagues, and spending summer vacations in her beloved Wellfleet on the Cape with various family members. She continued to be an avid reader, a passionate gardener, and a casual birdwatcher.
Nothing gave Gay more joy than spending time with members of her family, whether at their homes, or going out on an excursion! She will be sorely missed by her family, who were blessed by her love, her gracious sense of humor, her positive attitude, and her brilliant smile and bright blue eyes!
Gay was predeceased by her husband, John, and her daughter, Kathy.
She is survived by her daughter, Margery and husband Bob Condon of Scarborough, Maine, her daughter, Nancy and husband Mark Rossman of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and her daughter, Cindy and husband Paul Buraczynski of Littleton, Massachusetts; her nine grandchildren, John, Jeffrey, Kristen, David, Daniel, Andrew, Michael, Ashley, and William; and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gay's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Heart Association.
Visiting hours will be held 10 AM to 12PM, on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Acton Funeral Home, 470 Massachusetts Avenue (Rt 111), Acton, Massachusetts. Private burial will follow.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at the Acton Congregational Church, 12 Concord Road, Acton, Massachusetts on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 11:30 AM. Reception will follow at the church.