Obituary of Gladys Ruth Rose

GLADYS RUTH (SARLIN) ROSE

November 2, 1926 - May 15, 2023

Gladys Rose was born in Saskatoon.  She was the much-loved only child of Harry and Marcia Sarlin, immigrants from Minsk, Belarus. Her education included public school and high school as well as five-day-a-week after-school Hebrew School (cheder), where she learned both Yiddish and Hebrew.  The only day the family grocery store ever closed was her graduation from the University of Saskatchewan.

She married G.F. (Gerry) Rose in 1946; they loved each other dearly and were happily married for 53 years.  Their four Baby Boom children, Kathy, Toby, Naomi and David, were raised in a house full of love, laughter, books and high expectations.  Gladys loved reading.  She subscribed to and read The New Yorker every week for at least 75 years until shortly before her death when deteriorating vision made it too difficult.

Gladys did extensive and high-level volunteer work for the National Council of Jewish Women, Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), Multi-Faith Saskatoon and the Royal University Hospital Foundation, among others.  She was the first woman president of a Conservative synagogue in Canada, Congregation Agudas Israel.  A life-long learner, she obtained a Diploma in Continuing Education in 1969, becoming Chair of the Board of the Saskatoon Region Community College and the first Chair of the Saskatchewan Community Colleges Association.  She received many awards, including the Sam N. Filer Award for Distinguished Service to CJC and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal.

She loved Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, their history, geography, people, Jewish community – even the weather – and was delighted when a celebrity had ties to the province.  She loved her family and considered that anyone who was related, however tenuously, was a permanent member.  Her sisters-in-law, Myrna Levin and Zora Gropper and their husbands, were as close as siblings.  Gerry and, as he called her, Glady, never held grudges, believing that the only behavior one could control was one's own.  They were known as the Simcha Roses, travelling to weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, graduations and other celebrations whenever invited.  They cultivated friends of all ages.

After being widowed and living alone for several years, with great foresight she decided to move to Toronto in 2005, to be closer to her children.  She lived independently, made new friends, joined and attended Shabbat services at Congregation Darchei Noam, had an Adult Bat Mitzvah at age 85, played bridge and joined a book club.  When living alone became too isolating, she moved to the Russell Hill Retirement Residence, where she made more friends, found a new community and participated in many activities.  During COVID and as she became less able, she appreciated Holy Blossom Temple's Shabbat services via Zoom which were easily available on a tablet supplied by the Russell Hill.

Gladys suffered many tragic losses, including the deaths of her husband in 1999, daughter Kathy in 2000, daughter Naomi in 2016 and Kathy's husband, Gerry Cooper, in 2017.  But she considered herself lucky and was at heart resilient, happy and positive.  She is survived by her daughter Toby Rose (Les Klein), son David Rose (Marlene Kates), son-in-law Stan Sinai, 14 grandchildren (and 12 partners) and 12 great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Thank you to the wonderful staff of the Russell Hill as well as to Dr. Marnie Howe and the palliative care team of the Temmy Latner Centre for their compassionate care and Medical Assistance in Dying.

Funeral service will be held at Congregation Darchei Noam, 864 Sheppard Avenue West, Toronto, on Tuesday, May 16, at 11 am (EDT)

Burial will be at Agudas Israel Cemetery, Saskatoon, on Wednesday May 17 at 2 pm, (CST) followed by the Meal of Condolence at the Saskatoon Community Jewish Centre.  For details and shiva dates and times in Toronto see websites of Saskatoon Funeral Home and Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel.  Please consider making a donation in her memory to Congregation Darchei Noam in Toronto, Congregation Agudas Israel in Saskatoon, Save a Childs Heart or a charity of your choice.