Patricia Rose

It is with great sadness we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Patricia Rose, shortly after she suffered a significant stroke, in Calgary Alberta on July 29, 2025. 

Born to Sydney and Aileen Jones (nee Cunningham) in Toronto in 1956, she was the fifth born out of six children. They lived on a farm in Ontario, much to her dismay, until the late 1960s. The family then moved to Barrie, ON for a couple of years before eventually moving to Alberta for Sydney’s health. 

It was there she would meet her future husband at a weight watchers meeting in 1982. They learned they had a shared passion for skydiving, amongst other things, and that they actually were both active at the same drop zone and had just never chanced into meeting there. They got married 4 years later and raised two children; Sarah first, followed shortly thereafter by Steven. 

She was the president of the Union of Calgary Co-op for 25+ years, where she fought  tirelessly for the rights of the employees, many of whom she considered dear friends. She spent her life in the pursuit of what was fair and just, and she was almost never wrong. This, combined with her well-spoken nature and her passion for taking care of everyone around her, earned her the nickname of “Last Word” at age 3, a name that would stay with her until the end. 

She is survived by her husband of 39 years, Michael Rose, and their two children, Sarah (Nick) and Steven (Julia), as well as her 4 grandchildren (Aubree, Emerson, Jacob, and Otis), and 4 of her siblings, Doug (Lenore), Gord, Irene (Robert) and Carol, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Sydney and Aileen, her sister Barbara, and her sister-in-law Judy. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Calgary Winter Club at 4611 14 St NW on September 8, 1:00pm-4:00pm; those who wish to are welcome to attend. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the Alberta NDP or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.