Richard Mansfield Rose II

Richard (Rick) Mansfield Rose II was born on May 26, 1944 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Shortly after his birth, he and his mother moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to stay with his paternal grandparents while his father was in Italy serving with the Army Air Corps. In 1955, his family moved to Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida and ran the Four Roses Bed & Breakfast. He graduated from Manatee High School where his extracurricular activities included spending hot days and nights running track and serving as last chair second violin and president of the High School orchestra. He laughed each time he thought of his high school class moto: “We’re the best, we’re better than you, we’re the class of ’62!”

Rick graduated in 1966 from Florida State University with a B.S. in English Education. He taught high school English for one year at Southeast High School in Samoset, Florida. Rick returned to FSU in 1968 and graduated with a Master of Science in Theater in 1970. He enlisted in the Florida National Guard in 1967 and served for 6 years: once every month and for two weeks each summer.

Rick was technical director/designer at Broward Community College in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from 1970-75 and at Gainesville Junior College in Gainesville, Georgia from 1975-82. He was also adjunct faculty at Brenau College and participated in the formation of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance, an intercollegiate theater collaboration still in existence.

Rick and his family moved to Athens, Georgia in 1982 and he received his Ed.D in Higher Education from The University of Georgia in 1984. He was the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the College of Business Administration (now Terry College of Business) from 1984-89; from 1989 until he retired in 2004, he was Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs and later Assistant VP for Student Affairs, at the University of Georgia. As Assistant VP for Student Affairs, he established the annual UGA Candlelight Memorial Service to honor current students, faculty, and staff who have passed away during the previous year. After retiring from UGA, Rick was Chairman of the Department of Theater at Piedmont College, Demorest, Georgia, from 2005-09 where he closely participated in the direction, design and oversight of the Swanson Center for Performing Arts and Communications.

Rick was President of the Georgia Theatre Conference in 1978 and President of the Georgia Student Personnel Association in 1997-98.

While in Athens, Rick acted and directed for the Masters Hall Players, and worked in literally every capacity with the Town and Gown Players; onstage, backstage, front of house, governance, and proudly served as a Dump Road Teamster, along with Pete McCommons, hauling trash to the dump after every performance. In every walk of life Rick forged lifelong friendships but none so much as those he made participating in community theater.

Rick became a Georgia Master Gardener in 2012 and loved volunteering at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, welcoming visitors, answering questions, and most notably leading tours of the garden. For his fine work, he was recognized as the first recipient of the “Garden Earth Naturalist Club.”

Rick was predeceased by his parents Richard Mansfield Rose and Doris Enfinger Rose, sister, Susan Shanley, and son-in-law John Autry. He is survived by his wife, Florence King; daughter Jennifer Rose Autry; son Matthew Rose (Masako); grandchildren Sarah Autry Bennett (Cody), Emily Autry, Lisa and Erica Rose; and great grandchildren, Adalyn, Freya, and Onyx Bennett.

Recently when Rick was asked how he’d like us to remember him he wrote, “I’d like for friends and family to gather and bring their favorite food, their favorite alcoholic beverage, and wear their most alluring clothes. I’d like people to eat well, drink heartily, flirt outrageously and tell stories, smoke cigars, and have a good time remembering how much I enjoyed doing those same things.” He ended with his famous exit line: “Onward!”

We will remember Rick as a kind, thoughtful and accomplished man, with a curiosity about the world and the beings in it. His life was good, purposeful and positive, he weathered its storms with grace, and he found joy and humor in each day.

A private burial will take place at Oconee Hill Cemetery. A gathering of friends will be scheduled this Fall to share stories of Rick (in perhaps a less raucous manner than he expressed above) at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. If you wish to make a donation in his name, please contribute to the Town and Gown Players, Inc. and/or the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, East, Athens, GA is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com