Remembering Rose…

Rose Osborne 1924 – 2018

Here at PLAN of MA & RI, we are grateful on this Thanksgiving 2020, for being able to help our beneficiaries enjoy living their lives to the fullest with the people, things and animals that mean the most! Even though she has passed on, our beneficiary, Rose, was able to enjoy her beloved cats during the last several months of her life.

Born the youngest of 12 children in Luzenau, East Germany, Rose was trained in her early years as a draftsperson in her native country. She moved to Berlin for work around the time of WWII and met a GI, Robert, and fell in love. Robert and Rose were married in Germany and had a son James. They came to the United States in the 1950s, and their family grew to include a daughter, Bonnie.

Rose was known for her artistic talent and deep love of nature and animals, especially her cats, Mickey and Mau Mau, who gave her great pleasure and comfort in her later years. She especially enjoyed family vacations in Vermont and Florida. She loved gardening, being with friends, and was ‘loving and full of fun.’

Unfortunately, Robert and James passed around the same time and it was a very sad period for Rose and her family. Her daughter observed, “It took a big toll on her, but she persevered.”

Rose joined the Special Needs Pooled Trust at Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of MA & RI in 2017, after the sale of her home. When Rose moved into a nursing home, PLAN helped her daughter, Bonnie, arrange for things that helped Rose feel connected and happy: a cell phone, flowers sent to brighten her day, and even a teddy bear with her name embroidered on it. When her beloved cat Mickey needed surgery, PLAN helped ensure the veterinary bills were taken care of so she could continue to see her on frequent visits with her daughter.

Bonnie said, “I really appreciated the time PLAN spent with us explaining how I could help my mother with her quality of living and enjoy the rest of her time here with us. You made a difficult time a lot easier…”