Kern County Obituaries

Robert W. Rose

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Tehachapi News; September 23, 1998

Robert W. Rose, high quality custom home designer, builder and distinguished Army veteran, died 
on September 11. from injuries incurred during a work-related accident the day prior.
Mr. Rose suffered severe head injuries following a fall at a work site in Paso Robles, and was 
transported to Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo, where he died following brain surgery.
A California native, Mr. Rose was born in Los Angeles on August 7, 1945 and was raised in the San 
Fernando Valley community of Calabasas. An avid sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, Mr. Rose 
graduated from Taft High School in 1963 and attended Pierce Jr. College in preparation of a career 
in forestry. His educational pursuits were interrupted however, by the Vietnam War and he enlisted in 
the U.S. Army to become a member of the elite Army Special Forces.
Following extensive training, Mr. Rose was deployed to South Vietnam in 1967, where he served 
with the 5th Special Forces as an "A" Team demolitionist and advisor with the South Vietnamese 
Army at a remote outpost near the Cambodian border. Although forever reluctant to discuss his war 
exploits with even his closest family members and friends, it was learned that he escaped extreme 
danger on numerous occasions. On one occasion, following a fierce battle between his American 
led South Vietnamese forces and North Vietnamese infiltrators, he was recommended by his 
Commanding Officer for the Army Silver Star for heroism, for which he later received a Bronze Star 
Award. On another occasion, he nearly lost his life while rescuing a South Vietnamese soldier from 
drowning during a harrowing river crossing.
Following his return home, Mr. Rose married and moved to Eureka, where he resumed his forestry 
studies at Humboldt State while raising a family. However, his extreme interest-in the construction 
trade flourished and he started his own construction company, specializing in large, high quality 
residential homes. Many of his homes can be found throughout the Eureka-Arcata area and the 
Southern California community of Tehachapi, where he resettled in 1991 to construct homes for his 
mother and father, and brother.
With his passing, Mr. Rose is survived by his son Ryan and daughter Chelsea; his former wife, 
Mrs. Maureen Olsen; three devoted brothers, Russ, Frank and Ronn; his loving mother and father, 
Thyra and John Rose of Bear Valley Springs; his loving girlfriend Valerie Simunovich and un-
countable grieving friends and relatives.
At his request, Mr. Rose's cremated remains will be scattered at his favorite location high in the 
Sierra Nevada Mountains.
A memorial barbecue is to be held on Saturday, September 26, in Bear Valley Springs at Cub 
Lake at 2 p.m