Clarence “Terry” Leonard Rose, 85, died Sunday, August 27, 2017 at his home in Bishop, California at around 11:30 pm. In May 2017, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid Leukemia.
He leaves his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth Sophia Rose; his sons Carl Eric Rose and Stephen Rose; his daughter Karen Guajardo; his brother-in-law Clarence Wulf; eight grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and many close friends.
Born and raised in Healdsburg, California, he was the son of Clifton and Elsie Rose. The youngest of thirteen children, Terry and his twin brother Charles were raised by his father and step-mother, moving from house to house as his father followed work as a rancher. Terry told countless tales of ranch life, which he remembered quite fondly: crawdad fishing, heroic creek crossings, and evading the neighborhood bullies on their way to school. Terry was baptized on April 14, 1940 at the age of eight, and spent the remainder of his days as a faithful follower of the Lord.
After graduation from Healdsburg High School in 1950, Terry was drafted by the United States Army in 1952 to serve during the Korean War. On July 7, 1953, while fighting in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill, Terry was wounded by an enemy grenade and lost his sight at the age of twenty-one. He was transported to Japan and later to Travis Airforce Base, where he received treatment for his injuries. Upon his departure from the military, he received the UN Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and a Purple Heart.
After his military service, he attended Biola Bible College, where he graduated in June of 1958. Terry was married to Elizabeth “Betty” Wulf shortly after on August 24, 1958. Terry and Betty met for the first time in Santa Rosa as teenagers, and stayed in touch throughout Terry’s military service. After their marriage, Terry went on to receive his Master’s Degree in Counseling from San Francisco State University in 1962. After receiving his Master’s, Terry served as a counselor at Biola Bible College from 1962-1970.
In 1970, Terry and Betty, along with their three children, moved to Bishop, California, where Terry would serve as the high school counselor at Bishop Union High School for over twenty years. During his time at the high school, Terry interacted with many students, leaving a long and lasting impact with his positivity, compassion, care, and genuine respect for others.
Terry also served the community of Bishop as a career counselor, which involved driving, with Betty by his side, all over Inyo County in the “Career Van,” lending services to people from all walks of life in an effort to help and strengthen their community. Along with this, Terry also served as a marriage and family counselor to many residents of Bishop.
Aside from his work, Terry chose to serve as an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Bishop. He also volunteered as a Sunday School teacher for many years, using his legendary story-telling ability as a means of spreading the message of Jesus’ love to young children.
Terry, in his long life, was many things: he was the blind man in the blue jogging suit that ran all over town; he was the kind and caring high school counselor; he was the Sunday School teacher with the captivating stories; he was the grandpa or friend with a corny joke always at the ready; to his family, he was a loving, honest, brave, and passionate husband, father, and grandfather. Above all of this, however, Terry was a follower of Christ. All other titles and accolades were secondary to this, his true calling and purpose. His life is an example of what a life modeled after Jesus looks like; full of love, grace, truth, and humility. A letter from a friend reads as follows: “As a wise man said, and has proven true, ‘Terry Rose is the most Christ-like man I ever met’.”
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 2, 2017, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bishop, California at 10:30 am. A light lunch will follow.
