OBITUARY

-- Danette Goulet

She will be remembered as she always looked -- as picture perfect as a

rose.

Ellen Rose, mother, wife and second-grade teacher at California

Elementary School in Costa Mesa, passed away last week at the age of 52

due to complications after surgery for a cancer she had been fighting for

years.

Those who knew Ms. Rose said there is one thing that struck everyone

the same: She always looked spectacular.

“She was a fabulous dresser,” said Karen Kelso, a friend since 1973,

when they met as teachers at Newport Heights Elementary School. “When

we’ve had dinner parties, we’d always wonder what she was going to walk

in wearing because she was a fashion plate.”

The flair she had for fashion crossed over into other aspects of her

life as well.

“She was just very funny, had such a zest for life,” said Cynthia

Blackwell, who taught second grade with Rose for the past seven years.

“We used to love to see her in the morning because she always had

breakfasts, she was always eating these exotic foods.”

For the gourmet cook with a knack for interior design, her real love

was teaching children to read.

“She was a fabulous teacher,” Blackwell said. “She loved teaching.

Reading, that was her real strong area -- she was creative.”

In fact, at Thanksgiving time Ms. Rose would give thanks that she had

the opportunity to teach children to read, Kelso said.

With that in mind, the staff at California School, where she taught

for the past seven years until December, is creating a special reading

area where students can go during lunch or recess. They plan to call it

Mrs. Rose’s Garden.

Although private memorial services have been held, anyone wishing to

make donations in her memory to the garden may drop them off at the

school.

Ms. Rose leaves staff and students with wonderful memories and a large

void where a beloved teacher was to return.

“She just brought a little extra spark to our staff,” Blackwell said.

“The kids loved her. She very warm and always had their best interests at

heart.”

Checks for Mrs. Rose’s Garden should be made to California School

Education Foundation; note that the money is for the garden on the check.