Jon William Rose, 69, of Arlington and formerly of Fredericksburg , died at Inova Alexandria Hospital on February 4, 2014.Jon grew up in Clarksburg , WV and graduated from West Virginia University with a BA degree in German and an MA degree in German Linguistics. After graduation, Jon enlisted in the U. S. Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam . His love for German began when he was a senior in high school, living in Paderborn , Germany , and grew stronger throughout his life. Herr Rose lived and taught in Wilhelmshaven , Germany before teaching German at Woodbridge High School for 30 years. While living in Fredericksburg , Jon earned an MBA from Mary Washington College . He was also an active member of Christ Lutheran Church where he served on the Social Ministry committee and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter. Jon remained active in education and community service after moving to Arlington . He was an avid biker, clogger, and theatre-goer. Survivors include two sons, Eric Rose and his wife Meredith, and Nick Rose and his wife Mandy; his sister, Jayne Ross and her husband Bill; his niece, Beth Ross, and his brother-in-law, Tim Morneau. He was predeceased by his parents William and Bertha Rose, and his sister Kristina. Jon’s funeral will be held at 2pm on Wednesday Feb. 12 at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria . Contributions in Jon’s memory may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org.
1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA, 22302
2/12/2014 
2:00pm -
Jon and I go back to the late 1960’s. Fond memories flood into my mind around the pool in Fredricksburg and skiing
in W. Va.. I meet up with Jon about 10 years ago when he
was biking through Martinsburg, WV with his bike club. Condolences to Eric, Nick, their families and other close friends.
A fun Christmas photo of Dad, thanks for sharing this one, Alan!
So many fun memories of Jon,in West Virginia with all the Aunts and cousins. My deepest condolences
Eric, Nick and families, We were so sorry to hear about the passing of your Dad. We never got to know him as well as we would have liked to but we were able to visit with him the times we were at Bill and Bertha’s. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time.
MN Cousins Brian and Bonnie Isaacson
Eric I am so sorry to hear of Jon’s passing. We were friends from the days of Carlile Grade School. He celebrated his 66th birthday at the El Paso in Arlington, and attended the WI Class of ’62’s 40th Reunion in 2002.
Feb 2013: Dad takes Eric, Mandy, and I to Renwick Gallery, after a memorable lunch in DC. Dad always enjoyed exposing us to all the art and culture around DC
Eric and Nick and their families, your German friends, Wolfgang and Hannes, Jenny and Evi are deeply moved by the loss of your father. We are thinking of you, talking about our fond memories of Jon, which go back to the beginning of the 60s in Paderborn, Germany, in my case. It was quite unusual at that time to spend a whole year abroad in a German family.We remember him as a devoted and proud father, a faithful friend, especially for my mother, Tante Ruth, and always supportive and interested in the development of Hannes and Jenny. We still had plans for another visit to Europe/Munich in the near future. We are glad you have your partners to share your sorrow…
In stillem Gedenken
The funeral will be held at 2 PM on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The website should be updated to include this information shortly.
I offer my sincere condolences to you, Eric and Nick and your families on the passing of your dad, Jon. Jon and I were colleagues at Woodbridge for 22 years. We kept in touch upon our retirements and we got together occasionally in his home in Arlington. I am remembering lunches we had in the Foreign Language department when Jon would bring goodies to contribute to our other goodies brought in. He could always be counted on to bring a recipe that he’d gotten from one of us and it would be entirely unrecognizable because Jon loved to “tinker” with the recipes and make them his own. Just a light memory of dear Jon. He was a one-of-a-kind fellow and I will miss him.
My condolences to your family on the loss of your father and uncle. I enjoyed Jon’s sense of humor and offbeat demeanor. I am saddened by his passing.
As I think about Jon, his life, his love of theatre, the arts,friends,family, education, his wit, his zanyl and funny sense of humor, I am sad but very privileged to have known him for about 5 years. I really liked Jon,he made me laugh and I will never forget this kind man. He made this a better world in so many ways. Thank you Jon and I know that you are up there smiling at us with the Angels and Saints and telling us to live our lives to the fullest. My sympathy and prayers to your family and many friends. Rest in peace, you deserve it Dear Jon.
Eric and Nick,
As you know, your dad was a great friend of mine and I will dearly miss him. It was especially nice having him as an occasional travel companion when I working the trade shows. He would sightsee during the day and in the evenings we would explore the cities to find intersting restaurants to have dinner. One of his favorites was New Orleans and having the opportunity to visit the Tulane uniiversity campus and the good memories it had for him.
Your father’s great love for the theatre opened up a whole new world for me. It didn’t matter if we were going to the Kennedy Center or a local theatre’s production he somehow managed to never pay full price.
Decorating for holidays was another great passion of his. He had decorations for every major holiday and some not so major. Many a time I helped him haul them down from the attact, and of course afterwards they had to be hauled back to the attic.
There are many more great memories. I was very fortunate to have Jon in my life.
Too soon, Jon. I will miss you. We have so many more happy occasions to share. Somehow I feel you will always be with the family. R.I.P.
To Jon’s family: I am so sorry for your loss. Jon was a member of the Ushers Theatregoing Social Group which I have been running since 1990. We talked a lot over the years about theatre in the DC area and NYC and I will miss those discussions and talk and seeing him at the the local theatres. May he rest in peace.
Great picture Nick!
Hello Eric and Nick, I’m looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday and celebrating your Dad’s life! Hugs! Alison
Nick & Eric,
As you know, your dad was a great friend of mine and I will dearly miss him. We had a lot of great times together. It was especially nice having him as an occasional travel companion when I was exhibitng at trade shows. He would sightsee during the day and in the evenings we would explore the cities to find interesting restaurants for dinner. One of his favorite was New Orleans and having the opportunity to visit Tulane University campus and the good memories it had for him.
Your father’s great love for the theatre opened up a whole new world for me. It didn’t matter if we were going to the Kennedy Center or a local theatre’s production he somehow managed that we never paid full price.
Decorating for the holidays was another great passion of his. He had decorations for every major holiday and some not so major. Many a time I helped him haul them down from the attic,and of course afterwards they would have to be hauled back to the attic.
There are many more great memories. I was very fortunate to have Jon in life.
a few photos from 1978… Jon and “the Boys”
We have created a webpage to accept donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of Jon. The address is: https://www.firstgiving.com/fu…
Like many other Dads, Jon taught me how to ride a bike, how to drive a car, and he drove me to countless soccer practices and swim lessons. But my Dad also exposed me to some very different/important aspects of life at a very early age…
My dad took me and Eric with him to volunteer for the very first homeless shelter in Fredericksburg, of which he was a founding member … I have vivid memories of driving with him to local bakeries to pick up day old doughnuts to drop off at the shelter, where I was also able to help serve food to needy families in our hometown, these experiences opened my eyes to an entirely new and different part of my community.
When I was 16, Dad took me on a 2 week trip to Germany – to visit the same family that he spent an entire year with as an exchange student when he was just about the same age. This was my first trip on a plane, my first trip outside of the US, my first time getting a passport, my first trip living with another family, and my first time in a country speaking a language which I did not understand. When I look back on my life experiences spent with my Dad, this trip to Germany always comes to my mind first – appreciating German culture was a huge part of my Dad’s life, and I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this with him.
Of all of the characteristics that I know I got from my Dad, like my sense of humor and my good looks ….the trait that I most recently realized I likely picked up from him is my confidence throwing together a meal with whatever is available in the kitchen. I have many memories of him throwing together what would best be described as a “kitchen sink omelet” or a similarly “kitchen sink” casserole. His food was, like his personality – always unique.
My dad’s life was always full with a variety of different activities / projects, and everyone here probably associates him with different aspects of his life – as a theater goer, or German lover, or culinary creative, or teacher, or friend….but I know that we all remember him for his unique personality. Dad, I will always remember your humor, your style, and your jolly smile.
My condolences to the family during this difficult time, I am truly sorry for your loss. Please find comfort and hope in God’s promise found at Revelation 21:3,4.
Happy Birthday, Pops! We miss you.