Rose Marie Dennis Read

Rose Marie Dennis Read, 92, of Louisburg, North Carolina, died peacefully at home with her family by her side on September 30, 2025. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Franklin Amasa Read, her parents, Frank and Zmenta Dennis, her sister Jewel Dennis Harris, and her grandson, Charles Franklin Harris.
Rose was born on November 9, 1932 in Louisburg. She grew up on Cedar Street, attending Mills High School and later Peace College. After being introduced by Rose's cousin Alice and Frank's friend Graham, Rose and Frank married at
Louisburg Baptist Church on September 4, 1955 and were married for nearly 70 years. Together with Frank, Rose raised their three children, Martha, Susan, and David, with unconditional love and support. She was a devoted mother and
relished the accomplishments of both her children and grandchildren and delighted in the arrival of her great-granddaughters. She instilled the value of compassion in her children, teaching them to be generous and to live life as givers.
Rose was beautiful, smart, admirable, and self-aware but always gracious and welcoming. She was guided by a strong sense of right and wrong, which she would convey softly but with conviction. She loved a funny anecdote, which meshed well for almost seventy years with Frank's penchant for humorous stories and quips. Throughout her life, Rose was fortunate to make and maintain life-long friendships, many of them over the bridge table, at the O'Henry Book Club, and at Louisburg Baptist Church. She was always ready to settle in to read a good book, take on anyone in a card game (and win!), and cheer on the Tarheels, especially when they played Duke. Some of Rose's most treasured memories were from trips taken with her daughters and her niece, Pat. The four women embarked on
many journeys over the years, always punctuated with laughter and, of course, card playing - a beloved tradition they maintained on every trip. Rose also greatly enjoyed trips to Emerald Isle with the family where she and Frank passed on their card playing skills to their grandchildren.
Rose is survived by her three children of whom she was so proud: David Franklin Read; daughter, Martha Harris and her husband, Charles; and daughter, Susan Read and her husband, Hans Steinhuebel. She is also survived by her niece, Pat Harris Morse; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Nancy and Jimmy Mann; her granddaughters, Caroline Russell, Camile Russell and Molly Harris Kennan and husband Matthew; and her much loved great-granddaughters, Juniper Rose Diamant and Rose Carlile Kennan.
Rose's family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Dr. Lavinia Reyes and her compassionate staff for the excellent care provided to both Rose and Frank over many years. Their kindnesses meant so much to the family.
Special thanks are also extended to Queen Alston, Lottie Tucker, Monique Alston, Tomiko Alley, Dianne Allen, and Sheila Pleasant Hobbes, whose devoted care and support allowed Rose and Frank to remain in their home-an enduring gift for which the family is profoundly grateful.
A service to celebrate Rose's life will be held on Saturday, October 18, at Louisburg Baptist Church, 302 North Main Street, Louisburg, NC. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by the service at 12:00 p.m. The committal at Oakwood Cemetery will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Louisburg Baptist Church, Benevolence Fund, P.O. Box 730, Louisburg, NC 27549.