George Rose, a board member and organizer of the Diocese of Trenton’s annual Catholic Men for Jesus Christ conference died Aug. 27 in his home in Yardley, Pa.
Funeral services will begin with a Sept. 1 viewing in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Church, 3500 S. Broad St., Hamilton, from 2 to 4 p.m. and then from 7 to 9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., serving as principal celebrant. Homilist is Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Middletown, former pastor of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish and close friend of Mr. Rose.
“George Rose was an exemplary Catholic man, husband and father,” said Bishop O’Connell. “He suffered greatly with Christ but never gave in to discouragement. With great faith, George Rose touched the lives of countless numbers of people in so many ways. He will be deeply missed by all of us in the Diocese.”
Born in Queens, N.Y., Mr. Rose graduated from Maria Regina High School, Uniondale, N.Y., attended the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., and earned a master of business administration degree from Columbia University, N.Y. since 1998, he was a member of the N.Y. Yankees organization, currently serving as N.Y. Yankees executive advisor, Pacific Rim Operations. He was fluent in Japanese.
In a statement released Aug. 27 by the N.Y. Yankees, Mr. Rose was hailed as “the driving force in building out our operations in Japan, utilizing an incredible ability to facilitate cross-cultural understanding. …A man of great faith and the rare person about whom no one could say a bad word. He will be deeply missed by his friends at both the Yankees and Yomiuri and by all who had the privilege of spending time with him.”
An active member of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Mr. Rose was a member of the school board, the parish finance council and the leader of the parish men’s group who helped to establish the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel there.
Father Kegley, who kept vigil with Mr. Rose during the last week of his home hospice care, reflected, “in every area of George’s life, Christ has been the center.” Father Kegley went on to describe Mr. Rose as a “great example of a godly husband” to his wife, Carrie, and father to his son, Sean.
“George was an evangelist, a true disciple,” Father Kegley said.
“He loved being enrolled these last two years in the Encounter School of Ministry – New Jersey Campus,” Father Kegley continued, stating that the school “draws from the richness of our Catholic heritage as it seeks to teach, equip and activate disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in their spheres of influence. In conformity with the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.”
In addition to his parish involvement, Mr. Rose was also a founding member of Tabor House in Trenton, a three-quarter house that assists men in addiction recovery.
Mr. Rose was predeceased by his parents, George and Mary Ann Rose. In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by his sister, Kathleen (James) Sweeney, Garden City, N.Y.; his brother Michael (Kristi) of Wallkill, N.Y.; several nieces and nephews and many aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family and many friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to Tabor House at taborhouse.org.