Rose Louise Cope

Rose Louise Cope, of Two Rivers, Alaska, passed away on February 15, 2021 at the age of 103.

Rose was born in Dayton, Ohio to Louis Golb and Mary Triplat Golb on September 28, 1917. Two years later her only sibling, Francis Joseph, was born.

Among her favorite childhood memories were her intense love for reading and spending countless hours at the library searching for books. She also loved to tell the story of how her grandmother made the family wear strings of garlic cloves around their necks to ward off Spanish Flu. They didn’t like it, but apparently it worked. While people throughout her neighborhood fell to the disease, not one of her family members contracted it.

While the family struggled along with the rest of the country through the Great Depression, Rose attended South High School in Youngstown, where she enjoyed playing tennis and volleyball,  graduating in 1935. At some point during this time, Rose started playing the card game "Whist”, which developed into a life-long passion for the game of Bridge.

Following High School, Rose worked as an operator for Bell Telephone. In 1940, Rose met and married Martin Alexander Cope of Youngstown. In 1942, son William Allen was born. That same year, Martin answered the call to join the U.S. Army. Rose and Bill travelled around the country with Martin as much as possible, and when the War years were over, they decided to move South. Florida was home for the next 65 years. A second son, Roger Charles, was born in 1949 and, shortly thereafter, the family moved from Clearwater to the “country” to get into the cattle ranching business.

Raising the family, helping manage the ranch and maintaining the home kept Rose busy but she found time to further her education at the University of South Florida, help found the San Antonio Garden Club, and always stay in touch with her bridge-loving friends.

The years rolled by, the boys grew up and Rose took the job at the Tampa Tribune newspaper as an assistant to the editor. She loved working there and had many memorable experiences, including working through the Nixon era and Watergate days. She eventually retired from the paper and settled into a routine of staying active and playing as much bridge as possible.

In 2013, Rose moved to Alaska to live with son Roger and his wife Nancy.

It was wonderful having her with us for the past eight years.
She loved Alaska and being around her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She read a ton of books and watched countless movies but would always tell people that it was the game of Bridge that kept her going. Getting her hair done each Wednesday and sending the afternoon at the bridge table was definitely the highlight of every week. Many thanks to the caring people at the Fairbanks Senior Center where they played.

Rose was a member of the Farthest North bridge Club and loved her bridge friends dearly, especially her partner, Susan Lindholm.

Rose made friends wherever she went. She was very easy to love. She set forth and example of patience, self-sacrifice and unconditional love with her faith in God and firm belief in the power of prayer leading the way. She will be greatly missed.

Rose is survived by her son, Roger Charles and his wife Nancy, Son William Allen and his wife Beverly, many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren and many dear friends.

The family would like to express gratitude for the love of many friends as well as the kindness and compassion of the doctors, nurses and all who have cared for Rose throughout this journey, with special thanks to Elaine, Kim and Julia.

Interment will take place at Birch Hill Cemetery with a graveside service in the Spring.