Community Mourns Death of Former Coach

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Story Published: Feb 8, 2009 at 8:26 PM PDT

By Rudabeh Shahbazi

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BENTON CITY-- The Ki-Be gym was a full house Sunday, as hundreds of people crowded to honor longtime teacher and basketball coach Jerry Rose.

Rose died of multiple sclerosis Monday.

Those whose lives he touched, say his lessons were about more than math in the classroom and basketball on the court.

"I think he's an example to people that have struggles, that you can get through the struggles, that you can keep going on with life as much as you can, and that you can make the best possible life for yourself, despite all that," said Rose's wife, Patti.

Rose was diagnosed with MS 15 years ago, but kept coaching until he was confined to a wheelchair.

Rose's son Rick, is continuing his father's legacy, as a math teacher and basketball coach at Ki-Be. Even when Rose was in a wheelchair, he was on the sidelines of the team's games.

He faced another challenge when is son died in a freak accident that made national news in 2000, after a goal post came crashing down on students in Minnesota.

"Again, the community helped us so much through that," said Patti Rose. "We never could have made it without the community. Benton City has just been wonderful to the whole family."

As a teacher and coach, Rose was known to be strict, but always with a great sense of humor.

"He definitely had a good hold on his class," said former student and family friend Stephanie Stubbs. "None of the students really misbehaved, and if we did, he let us know."

Rose's family says his inspiration and determination will live on.

"He wasn't a complainer," said Rose's sister-in-law, Sandy Harvey. "It was not, woe is me. He always had such a positive outlook."

Most of all, Rose is remembered as a family man, which makes it all the more difficult for his daughter, Nichole Harding, who is pregnant with the family's first grandchild.

"It was something that he was really excited about," said a teary Harding.

But if anyone he left behind learned anything from Rose, it's to live life to the fullest, even through challenges and heartbreak.

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