James Ellington Rose

Dr. James Ellington Rose, M.D., FACS, a distinguished neurosurgeon, educator, and veteran, passed away on February 11, 2025 at the age of 81, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. His death marks the end of a remarkable life dedicated to the care of others, the advancement of medicine, and a deep commitment to the things he loved-jazz music, aviation, and above all, his family.

James Rose was born on February 22, 1943 in Timpson, Texas to remarkable parents: his mother, Francis Ellington, a member of the Ziegfeld Follies, was an opera singer and pianist, and his father, Raymond Rose, was an accomplished concert violinist who often played in the orchestras of his wife's shows. James and his younger brother Joe flourished in this creative, musical family. Joe became an avid singer, actor and tightrope walker, while Jim fostered a passion for trumpet. His passion for the instrument took flight at age 14 when Justin Wilson, a famous comedian and TV chef, handed him a trumpet and said if he could learn how to play it, he could keep it. Jim and Joe became local legends when their pet donkey followed them into the town's movie theater, resulting in a terrible mess!

In 1964 James graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University, where he was president of the student body and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and was elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1968, where he also completed his internship in general surgery.

Dr. Rose's commitment to serving his country led him to Vietnam as a senior flight surgeon and captain with the United States Army. He earned several military honors including the Air Medal, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He continued his service as an attending physician and senior flight surgeon at Letterman General Hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco. Upon returning to Texas, he completed his residency in neurological surgery and embarked on his medical teaching career as an assistant professor at UTMB in Galveston.

His career flourished in Houston, where he practiced neurosurgery for 30 years. He was an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and he helped establish the renowned Houston Methodist Neurological Institute. He dedicated much of his career to training a generation of neurosurgeons who now practice around the world. Dr. Rose's clinical and research interests focused on cerebrovascular disease, developing endovascular procedures that are now widely used for treating aneurysms and vascular malformations. Respected not only for his work as a surgeon, he developed a reputation within the medical community for his genial attitude among colleagues and students and a bedside manner that put his patients at ease.

In 2011, Dr. Rose relocated to Austin, where he continued his career as an attending neurosurgeon at Ascension Medical Group at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. Dr. Rose was a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Houston Neurological Society. He retired in 2021, but his passion for neurosurgery and mentorship continues to inspire the medical community.

Outside of his esteemed medical career, Dr. Rose was a lifelong aviation enthusiast. A licensed pilot for over 63 years, he took pride in his Stearman biplane, which he affectionately called "Brother," and which he flew for 35 years. His contributions to aviation were recently recognized when he was awarded the prestigious Wright Brothers Award.

As much as he loved being in the clouds, Jim was equally at home on the water. He adored navigating his boat, fishing, teaching his entire family how to waterski, and leading them on searches to view dolphins. A highlight of his life was his wedding to Pam on their boat, The Hippókampos, officiated by his brother Joe, who was a ship captain.

Dr. Rose never gave up his lifelong love for jazz trumpet. In Galveston and Houston, he played with his Dixieland jazz band, and upon moving to Austin, he began playing with renowned musicians such as Jon Blondell at Elephant Room, Parker Jazz Club, and other venues. One of Jim's noteworthy memories was jamming with legendary jazz icon Chet Baker in Galveston. He was also a longtime member of a jazz band made up of neurosurgeons from around the country.

In his final years, despite a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2022, Dr. Rose continued to play jazz, maintaining his unwavering spirit until his health declined in late 2024 following a series of strokes. His death marks the end of an era for the many lives he transformed as a surgeon, mentor, and friend. His legacy in the field of neurosurgery will live on through the generations of doctors he trained, and the hearts of those he touched in both his professional and personal life. As one of his many friends once summed up, "He flies, he sails, he blows a horn and cares for lives: What a guy!"

Jim's legacy is built on his extraordinary skill, compassion, and dedication to both his patients and his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Pam; his brother Joe and his wife Cindy; daughter Suzanne Balling and her husband Jamie Balling; daughter Lacy Rose and husband Ross Levine; his two grandchildren, Sadie and Jones; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless colleagues and friends whose lives were deeply touched by his expertise, kindness, sense of humor, playful spirit, and larger-than-life character. As a child of artistic parents, Jim carried the torch with his own music, and passed it along to his children and grandchildren: he loved attending performances by his two daughters, Suzanne the actor and Lacy the singer/composer, as well as his grandchildren's concerts and musicals.

In remembrance of Dr. Rose's life and contributions, musical celebration-of-life parties will be held the afternoon of March 29 at the Parker Jazz Club beginning at 2pm and the evening of March 30 at Elephant Room beginning at 8pm. More information will be available on the Parker Jazz Club website.