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BORN
1953
DIED
2020
David Rose Obituary
February 7, 1953 - August 4, 2020
Marina Del Rey
It is with broken hearts that we announce the unexpected passing on August 4, 2020, of David Marc Rose, adored son, husband, father, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend.
Dave was born in New York City on February 7, 1953. His family moved to California in 1955, where his father was stationed at March Air Force Base in Riverside during the Korean War. After the war, the Roses relocated to the Palo Alto area.
Dave was a member of the Woodside High School Class of 1971, attended Crown College at UC Santa Cruz, graduating in 1975, and George Washington Medical School in Washington, DC, graduating in 1979. He immediately returned to California for an internship at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and completed his general surgery residency at Harbor-UCLA. He also completed a fellowship in vascular surgery at Long Beach Memorial. It was during his intern year at Cedars that he met Susy, an ICU nurse, and his future wife. They were married in 1982.
Soon after completing his training, Dave and Susy moved back to Northern California, eventually settling in Santa Cruz. During this transition up North, they began building a family, adding Jessica, Benjamin, and Samantha in the span of four years. In 1988, Dave started practicing general and vascular surgery at the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic. A true surgical 'mensch,' he was beloved and highly respected by his colleagues and revered by his patients. He was particularly devoted to his cancer patients, following up with them even after they were no longer in his care. Renowned for being an excellent technical surgeon and for his thoughtful patient care, Dave was a valued mentor to new surgeons. It surprised no one when he received the Santa Cruz County Medical Society Excellence in Health Care Award 2016-17, the highest medical honor bestowed by the county.
He retired in 2015, returning to the warmer climate of Los Angeles in 2016, where he and Susy had a wonderful time exploring the city and taking advantage of its cultural offerings. Dave was especially thrilled to be back in proximity of Disneyland, a place he visited often as a child.
Above all, Dave loved his children deeply and was incredibly proud of the lives they built for themselves. In addition to his family, Dave's great passions were sailing, skiing, and model trains. Captain Dave and his family took epic sailing trips around the world, visiting Belize, Greece, Croatia, Tonga, and one of his personal favorites, the Carribean, to name a few. As a child, he was introduced to the joys of model trains by his father and carried this love into adulthood. He was a proud member of the Santa Cruz County Railroad Historical Society and the Belmont Shore Model Railroad Club in LA.
Dave was a man who loved to laugh and make others laugh along with him. He had a well-developed dry wit, but was not above telling bad 'dad jokes.' He was unfailingly kind and generous with his time and sustained numerous strong friendships going back to his high school days. He was one of the hardest-working doctors any of us ever knew and deserved many more years of life with his family. We are all devastated and cannot imagine moving forward without him, but we know Dave would want us to keep living, laughing, and exploring the world.
Dave is survived by his wife, Susy, his children Dr. Jessica Rose (Justin Rosenkaimer), Benjamin Rose, and Samantha Rose. He was predeceased by his father, Jerry, and is survived by his mother, Judy. He will be sorely missed by his sister Lisa Rose (Ken Koenig), brother Mathew Rose (Annette Mettendorf), sister Sara Jane Rose (Jay Shanker), and brothers-in-law and their families. He was also incredibly beloved by his aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.
In lieu of flowers, Susy and family know that Dave would be comforted to have donations made to The Children's Clinic of Long Beach (https://www.thechildrensclinic.org). He was very proud of the organization and held high esteem for its CEO, Dr. Elisa Nicholas. When making your donation, please select 'David Rose Memorial Fund' in the 'Designation' drop-down menu and be sure to type your name in the 'Leave a comment' box.
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Memories and Condolences
for David Rose
Sponsored by santacruzsentinel.com.
Geoffrey Straniere
August 5, 2023
Hi David- thinking of you today, thinking to remind myself of your calm presence and positive energy, and when it seems I am at my wits end and think I can no longer find the even keel I desperately want to present to the world, you come into my spiritual space and give me the model to follow. Life is this not always pleasant ride, the dynamic a constant ebb, and with so few who we can look to, to look at, who really represent the caliber sought, well, it's days like today when I need that talisman, and on cue, here you are. Sending all the love I can ever share to your family and to you, and please keep up these moments, when in the absence of someone or something, I look up and out, and your smile appears. Love, Geoffrey
Normalee Ebert
January 31, 2021
He was one of a kind. My surgeon for all of my surgeries and I am just sorry I didn't have that last chat with him.
Larry Levin MD
August 14, 2020
Dave was a great surgeon. I can say that with authority because he performed four different surgeries on me: and as an Endocrinologist I referred most of our patients who required thyroid or parathyroid surgery to him. He always seemed so calm and unflappable and confident and yet modest. Dave was always friendly and smiling and a pleasure to be around. He was clearly very adventuresome and went on many exciting vacations in addition to being totally devoted to his work as a physician. Dave will be greatly missed.
Kerri Berry
August 13, 2020
Dr. Rose was my surgeon when I had breast cancer in 2012. He was the kindest, warmest, funniest doctor I've ever known and I was so, so fond of him I was almost sad to not need a surgeon when I got better! My deepest condolences to Dr. Rose's family and friends. He was a gift to us all!
Geoffrey Straniere
August 12, 2020
I met David more than twenty years past, and was awestruck at the calm, collected, affable fellow who welcomed me into his home along the Santa Cruz cliffside drive. He had a New York City smarts, coupled with a laidback California cool - he seemed both at the head of the table as provider, and off to its side as observer; truly a man who appreciated, and was appreciated, in equal measure, by all in his presence. Over the many years I got to know David and his family, the more I saw a model by which to pose myself in front of my family, as head of the table, but off to the side in concurrent stance. There are so few people we meet in this lifetime who upon initial introduction, we find perpetual kinship. David, you have been so good to do many, so many that I call family, and your absence now, leaves a void in the universe far and wide near and narrow. Thank you for your love and protection; we have each and all lived our most critical moments in various degree, because from afar or close-in, your touch was upon us. -Love, Geoffrey
Daniel A Green
August 12, 2020
I was acquainted with David at Woodside High, same class of '71; can't recall whether our paths crossed again at UC Santa Cruz, tho' logically they should have, as we both attended Crown College. Godspeed, David.
Diana Adams
August 12, 2020
He was the surgeon who saved my life when I had medulary thyroid cancer 17 years ago. He called me "his little miracle " whenever I saw him afterwards at the hospital when I would be visiting someone there. Memory Eternal and prayers for his family.
Diana Adams
August 12, 2020
He was the surgeon who saved my life when I had medulary thyroid cancer 17 years ago. He called me "his little miracle " whenever I saw him afterwards at the hospital when I would be visiting someone there. Memory Eternal and prayers for his family.
Deb Rimmer
August 11, 2020
The world has lost a treasure. I am so sorry for your loss
Paul Berman MD
August 11, 2020
He was one of the finest physicians, a wonderful and caring human being and a great colleague . He was calm in emergencies and all had a good word and smile. I am shocked at his passing as we all our! He deserved better and a much longer life and he will be greatly missed. The world lost a classy guy! Paul Berman MD
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