Lawrence A. Rose “Larry”

Lawrence Anthony Rose, 91, (Larry) died April 16, soon after making his last contribution to the IRS.

Rose was born Jan. 1, 1934, in Lincoln, the second baby of the new year and the sixth of eight rambunctious boys of John T. and Eleanor Zimmer Rose. After his mother died when he was 11, Rose made his way to adulthood with the help of brothers, Catholic boarding schools, and an ornery stubbornness.

Rose served as a clerk typist in the U.S. Army in the mid 1950’s, where he spent the night of his 21st birthday guarding an empty building at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Rose married Felice Gibbs on Jan. 10, 1960 and they had four children. After they divorced, he married Nancy Hicks, also on Jan. 10. He never forgot an anniversary.

Rose was a natural salesman, with the gift of humor and the confidence to shut up and listen. He started Rose Equipment, which sold construction equipment and Freightliner trucks, on one floor of a rented building with one employee. Within five years, the business had grown to 50 employees in a new 150,000 square foot building in west Lincoln, with a second location near Odessa. The company, which he sold in 1999, will celebrate its 55th birthday this year.

In retirement Rose bought and sold used horse trailers. It was a hobby that allowed him to meet new people, haggle over prices, and make a little money. The fact that 90 percent of the horse owners are women just made it more enjoyable.

And he was a horse nut. Rose delivered newspapers on his pony as a kid, showed American saddlebreds into his 70’s and rode Tennessee Walkers on trail rides beyond his 90th birthday

Rose, who once needed a morning drink in order to fasten his tie, celebrated 49 years of sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous in September. He brought laughter to thousands of meetings and enjoyed his many many friends. He was grateful for the rich life sobriety brought him.

Because Rose always wanted to know what someone died of, he would have us tell you that he had 27 diagnosed health issues. Rose was 91 years old with a youthful history of unhealthy habits. He died of everything…but much later than anyone would have predicted.

Survivors include his wife Nancy Hicks Rose, two children Meg (Mike) Nixon of Des Moines, and Jim (Jana) Rose of Valley, Ne.; two step children, Kia and Shad Hulvershorn of Lincoln; and 6 grandchildren. His son, US Army 1st Lt Peter J Rose, a National Guard helicopter pilot, died in Desert Storm. An infant daughter, Alexis Haberlin Rose died in 1960.

A Celebration of Life will be held May 14, 2 pm, at First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D St., with a reception to follow.

Memorials to the Anita Filley go fund me, St. Monica’s Behavior Health Services for Women, Houses of Hope, Nebraska Public Media.

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