ROSE MARIE SCHNEIDER
June 5, 1933 - June 12, 2018

Rose Marie Schneider passed away peacefully at the family home in Costa Mesa on June 12, 2018 surrounded by her loving family. Rose was born on June 5, 1933 in Turtle Creek, PA and graduated from Turtle Creek High School in 1951. She honored her grandmother’s wishes to pursue a career in nursing, and attended the nursing school at Braddock General Hospital in Braddock, PA, graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1954. Following her passion to explore the world beyond the Monongahela River Valley, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Reserve Nurse Corps in 1955. After training in Alabama, she served on active duty at the Lackland Air Force Base Hospital in San Antonio, TX, where she met her husband, David. Rose then started a family that includes her daughters Susan, Sally (Norman) and Sandy (Larry); son Scott; Grandchildren Jason, Jennifer (Chris), Jon, Bryan, Gabriel and Christian; and Great Grandsons Gage and Aiden. After living throughout the continental United States, Hawaii and Australia, Rose and her children settled down in Southern California in 1966, where she worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach, CA as a Labor and Delivery nurse for over 32 years. Working the graveyard shift, Rose delivered many babies in the Long Beach/West Orange County area in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Rose retired from nursing in 1998 and continued to pursue her passion to travel; visiting England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Always in love with the beauty of the sea, she took her first cruise from Hawaii to California in 2008, and in the following 4 years, logged many more miles and experiences on cruises across the Atlantic, the Pacific and South Pacific, the West Coast, the Panama Canal and Alaska. Rose will be remembered as a kind and compassionate person, who lived in the moment, was accepting of everyone, made all feel welcome, and was always ready with a smile and a hug for family, friend or stranger alike. In addition to her California family, she is survived by her brother, Nicholas Swartz (Ruth) of Monongahela, PA. Rose will be missed by all who knew her and whose lives she touched, but will live on in cherished memories.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 29, 2018, at 11:00 AM at Harbor Christian Church, 2401 Irvine Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660. A reception at the church will immediately follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rose’s name to Operation Help-A-Hero, PO Box 80996, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688. Operation Help-A-Hero is a 501(c)(3) public charity supporting military units and families as they prepare for separation, endure the challenges of deployment, and transition back to the United States.


A NOTE FROM OHH: Rose was a special lady who touched each of us with her contagious joy. We have been so blessed to get to meet and know Rose, who was a ray of sunshine for us during Operation Christmas Spirit.  We can distinctly recall how she lit up witnessing the generosity and also getting to bless a family in a big way through this program.  She was the type of person who made you stop what you are doing to smell the roses. Our thoughts, prayers and love are with Rose's family. Thank you for honoring OHH with celebrating her memory. 

Donations made to Operation Help a Hero in Rose's memory will be used to support families separated by deployment and military families at Christmas time. 

Make an online donation by clicking on the button to the right.  DON'T FORGET TO ADD A MEMO ABOUT ROSE WITH YOUR DONATION. 
or
Mail donations to:
Operation Help a Hero
"In Memory of  Rose Schneider"
PO Box 80996
Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca 92688