Judith Lee Rose passed away on March 21, 2024. Her curiosity about the world as a young woman led to an interesting life. If something captivated her, she pursued it, from woodworking to education. She was the first in her family to graduate college, earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii and a master’s degree from the University of Oregon.
She traveled often and lived in Honolulu where she loved to body surf, and Los Angeles where she rubbed elbows with Hollywood elites, before making her home in Oregon. She lived just outside of Winston for over 40 years and embraced her community with a generous spirit, giving back through her career as a social worker. Three generations of her family have loved the land she lived on, “The Ranch,” and she treasured it, her animals, and her neighbors.
Judith was passionate about politics and social issues. She was ardent, articulate and free in her opinions, particularly with those who did not share them. She was an early and outspoken feminist who helped inspire and pave the way for the next generation. She advocated for the equal treatment of all human beings, campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, and supported the Ladies’ Sewing Circle and the Terrorist Society.
She was a person of contradictions: she loved her family and friends fiercely, yet often kept them at arm’s length; she was solitary by nature, yet unfailingly generous with her home; she cherished family, but defied social expectations by never marrying or having children. She was complex: funny, warm, intelligent and easy to fall in love with, yet often difficult to figure out and sometimes just plain difficult.
Judith was born Jan. 14, 1941, in Shasta County, California. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge, as she liked to say, in the comfort of her own beloved home in Douglas County, Oregon. The mark she made in her 83 years is indelible. She was loved and she will be missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Soul2Soul Animal Rescue in Roseburg, Oregon (https://www.soul2soular.org/donate.)
