Rose Persoleo

Salon owner, hairstylist Age: 87

Rose Persoleo, one of five children born to Italian immigrants, grew up working at her mother’s sub shops in Wilmington.

At 17, she married Louis Persoleo Jr., a Navy man who was soon after called on to serve in the Korean War.

When he was gone, Persoleo worked as a hairstylist and saved enough to buy a house. She liked to say she made the purchase with quarters she rolled from her tip money.

Persoleo raised two daughters, Gina and Judy. She retired in her 60s after years as the owner of Towers Beauty Salon.

“She loved what she did,” said Gina Bosick, who described her mother as “glamorous” but a hard worker. “She always wanted to do right by people.”

Persoleo died at age 87 on Dec. 1, 2020, 11 days after she tested positive for the coronavirus.