Harold D. Rose

Harold Devere Rose, age 89, of Elkhart, passed away Sunday evening, April 6, at his residence. He was born October 3, 1935, in Elkhart, Indiana, to the late Harold and Clara (McCollough) Rose. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Kenneth and Willard.

On March 30, 1968, he married the love of his life, Joanne Cittadine in Mishawaka. Surviving are his wife, Joanne, of 57 years; daughters, Debra Pietrzak and Denise (Jan) Konecny, Cape Coral, FL; Deena (Brent) Parson, Deedsville, IN; Debbie (Denny) Dodge and Tammie (Ed) Hibshman, Elkhart, IN; Kim (Scott) Haller, Sturgis, MI; 16 grandchildren, Amanda Thomas; Jarrett Thomas; Tarah (Randy) Fairchild; Trent (Nikki) Parson; Tiffany (Matt) Nead; Ashley (Brandon) Bumpus; Jeff Pratt; Kelly Pratt; Michael (Melissa) Pratt; Ryan (Kaitlin) Hibshman; Adam (Jenny) Hibshman; Nicholas (Natalie) Hibshman; Kayla Haller; Ryne Haller, Jessica Haller; Jacob Haller; 15 Great-grandchildren, Remington, Dawson, McCoy; McKenna; Griffen; Blaire; Hope; Braya; Giovanni; Cruz; Presley; Remy; Ellis; Jullian and Jericho and 1 great-great grandchild, Bjorn. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. 
 

Harold was a dedicated and hardworking individual who spent over 20 years as a self-employed auto parts distributor at Rose Distributing, earning numerous awards for his exceptional sales achievements. In addition to his career, Harold was deeply involved in his community, serving as the groundskeeper for Concord, Cleveland, and Osolo Little Leagues for many years. His meticulous care ensured that the fields were always pristine, with not a weed in sight. Harold’s commitment to excellence, both in his work and in his community, leaves behind a lasting legacy of hard work, pride, and service. Harold was also a veteran of the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Eustis, VA.
 

He loved being outdoors and working in the yard. He was very athletic and enjoyed running, golfing, swimming, water skiing, playing basketball and taking Joanne dancing. Above all, he cherished time spent with family, especially all the time spent at the lake, pool parties and 4th of July campouts at Rose’s Campground.  He enjoyed coaching his daughter’s softball teams for many years. He attended as many football and baseball games for all his grandchildren as possible. Harold was a devoted fan of Notre Dame sports, proudly serving as an usher for football games for many years. His passion for the team never wavered, and he continued to watch every football and women’s basketball game until the very end. Harold had a sweet tooth, particularly for chocolate ice cream and cookies. His Crème de menthe Christmas shakes were a tradition that will be missed by his family.

After retirement, Harold and Joanne enjoyed spending the winter months at Lake Fairways in N. Fort Myers, Florida.

Visitation for Harold will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm at Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home.  A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 4:00 pm.  Cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Heart to Heart Hospice 620 W. Edison Road #122 Mishawaka, IN 46545 or to Hope Hospice 9470 Healthpark Circle Fort Myers, FL 33908.

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