William Ray Rose

OKLAHOMA CITY - William Ray Rose, age 95, of Okla. City, passed away Sun., Feb. 27, 2022, while hospitalized for an acute illness. He had been living in the Norman Veterans Center for several years. While there, he received excellent care from sensitive and amazing staff in Medical, Administrative, Scheduling, OT/PT, Social Workers, Activities, and Veterans Services. He was always treated with the utmost respect by all who worked there. William was born in Broken Bow and raised in Okla. City by his parents, Oriel Raymond and Elva Jeannette Rose. He attended Shields Junior High and graduated from Capitol Hill High School. While in high school he worked for an optometrist and made lenses for glasses. He also boxed for the Golden Gloves and boxed in the bantamweight category. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Army in Dec. 1944 and served during World War II in the Pacific in Company K, 31st Infantry. When he was discharged from the Army in Dec. 1946, he worked again for the optometrist and later met Mary McQueen who became his wife on June 28, 1950. Together, they had four children. Not long after his marriage to Mary, he began working at Tinker Field. There, he held several jobs, each progressing to higher positions. Before his retirement, his final job was Electronics Quality Control Specialist. He took an early out in 1974 and bought a Landscaping business which had always been his passion. He and Mary usually spent their evenings digging new flower beds for all the beautiful plants they had chosen, and building patios, sidewalks, and curbs around their flower beds. While their children were growing up, William and Mary were both quite involved in their girls’ activities at school, in scouts, and in band. All four girls played musical instruments, and William and Mary always volunteered as chaperones for field trips or overnight band trips. William had as much fun as the kids did on these trips. He would talk about them for weeks afterward. He always encouraged the girls in whatever endeavors they chose. He taught them about life skills that are not taught in school which prepared the girls to be independent as adults. Their house was always filled with kids. Sometimes they were over to practice for contests or sometimes just to hang out, but regardless of the reason, William always welcomed them all. When the kids gathered to visit, William was always encouraged to join in. Recently, several severe illnesses took a toll on William, and he required nursing care due to being wheelchair and bedbound. Fortunately, being a veteran, he was able to live at the Norman Veterans Center where he received first-rate care 24 hours per day. William is preceded in death by his parents, Oriel Raymond and Elva Jeannette Rose; and his youngest daughter, Cynthia Rose. He is survived by his daughters, Carol Rose Edwards of Tucson, AZ; Karen Howry of Yukon; and Linda Rose-Evans and her husband Michael Evans of Yukon; grandchildren Wayne Canady of AZ, Callie Howry-Simmons and her husband Robert Simmons of OKC; Kristin Ghimire and her husband Garrett Aguilar of Moore; and Dylan Evans of OKC. Great Grandchildren, Henley, Iliana, Isabella, Jared, Zane, and Zechariah. A viewing will be at Yanda and Son Funeral Home, 1500 W. Vandament, Yukon, OK 73099, 1 pm–8 pm, Wed., Mar. 2nd, 2022. Services will be held on March 3, 2022, at 2 pm, at the Yanda and Son Funeral Home Chapel. Graveside services with military honors will follow immediately at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, 8701 NW Expressway, OKC, OK 73162. Online condolences may be signed at www. yandafuneral.com.