Rose Fitz
Rose Fitz, 96, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
Rose was born in New York City On January 21, 1921. She was married to Roscoe Linton Fitz, Jr., for 52 years.
Rose was preceded in death by her husband; parents, Harry and Minnie Sheikowitz; sisters, Jeannette, Pauline, Vivian and Shirley; brothers, Zachary and Arnold; nephews, Paul Sherman and Robert Stein; and niece, Carol Sherman.
Rose worked during World War II as a server where her future husband, Roscoe, was stationed in Miami Beach with the U.S. Army. A mutual friend, Leroy Lightheart, introduced them at a military dance, and she told her sister that evening, "Roscoe is the man I'm going to marry." The following year they married in New York on May 21, 1945.
A native Chattanoogan, Roscoe brought home his beautiful bride and raised their family. Rose was baptized in Northside Baptist, and she was a longtime member of Red Bank Baptist and its Mary-Martha Sunday School class. She worked at the Three Sisters shop downtown.
Rose was an outgoing person who never met a stranger. She loved her family and was a stay-at-home Mom with her three daughters. She adored being a mother, then "Nana" to her grandchildren and, eventually, great-grandchildren.
Having a desire to return to Florida, she and "Ross" moved to Jacksonville in 1977. He worked as a credit manager at Roux/Revlon. Three sisters lived in the Daytona area where they relocated. She became a widow in 1997. When she came back to Chattanooga in 2003 she lived at John Calvin Presbyterian Apartments. Rose had many happy friendships there, and she liked living "close to the mall."
In 2012 she went into assisted living and, later, nursing care at Summit View. She was especially fond of Rachael, one of several kind caregivers. Dr. Ted Franklin was one of Rose's favorite physicians. How wonderful to hear someone well into her nineties say, "I've had a great life!"
Rose is survived by her sisters, Beatrice Farber and Rochelle Franklin; children, Linda (John) Ludington, Cheri (Flay) Welch and Loretta (Raymond) Tessmer; grandchildren, Wendy (Clay) Hunnicutt and Brian (Erin) Welch; step grandchildren, Aubry (Todd) Panek and John (fiancé Andrea) Ludington; great-grandchildren, Alyssa and Austin Hunnicutt, Hannah, Haven and Hallie Welch; step–great-grandchildren, Christian, Joseph, and John Michael Panek.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Lane Funeral Home-Ashland Terrace.
Funeral services for Rose will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the funeral home chapel.
Interment will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415, 423 877-3524, www.lanefh.com.