Emma Elizabeth Rose believed in giving back and making a difference. She contributed to University of Pitt scholarship funds and to the Pitt Petersen Event Center. During WW II there was a need for nurses, but her sorority friends, aspiring nurses, had a difficult time getting into nursing programs in the Pittsburgh area because of racial prejudices. In 1943 they were all accepted into the first Nursing program in Western Pennsylvania to admit African Americans. Emma created a charitable gift annuity to support the African American Nursing Alumni Scholarship Fund in the School of Nursing. Through her donations to scholarship funds, she continues to help students to achieve their goals.

A native of East Liberty, PA, Emma graduated with high honors from Westinghouse High School. She received a bachelor’s degree from Pitt’s College of Arts and Sciences and a master’s degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology Library School. Her first employment In Hartford, Connecticut was as a librarian for the Ropkins Branch of the Hartford Public Library. Soon after, she accepted a position at the SAND Elementary School where she was committed to making the school a better place to learn. She was treasurer and chairperson of the fundraising committee of the Parent Teacher Community Organization; sponsored extracurricular activities for students, such as the Computer Club, and the Cooking and Sewing Club; coordinated publication of two of the school’s yearbooks; and served as the building representative for the Hartford Education Association. She personally engaged with many students in the Hartford school system and took students to New York, to the opera, to basketball games and even to Europe to give them exposures that they might not have otherwise had. Her 46 years of dedication to the school did not go unnoticed. The Hartford Board of Education named the Elementary School library the Emma E. Rose Media Center in her honor. She retired in 1993.

She bought a home in Hartford, owned it for over 50 years and could frequently be seen gardening, maintaining her house and walking to school and to shop in her neighborhood. She loved opera and was a long-time contributor and frequent attendee at the Metropolitan Opera in NY as well as other arts organizations including the Wadsworth Athenaeum. She also loved college basketball, became a significant supporter of both the University of Connecticut Men's and Women's teams and was thrilled to see both teams win several NCAA Championships.

Emma was a 50+ year member of Central Baptist Church in Hartford where she became in 1973 the first woman and first black Moderator.

Emma Rose was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Her initiation into the Iota Chapter at the University of Pittsburgh was in the spring of 1942. Emma joined the Epsilon Omicron Omega Chapter (Hartford, CT) in 1951 and was an active member in the chapter working on various committees. She held the office of Graduate Advisor to the Lambda Tau Chapter (Hartford, CT) and was very successful in the position. In the spring of 2017 Emma was honored and celebrated for her 75th membership anniversary and earned the title of Diamond Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

The seventh child of the late Estelle Turner and Thomas Rose, Emma was preceded in death by sisters Mary Glover and Bertha Rose, brothers George, Thomas, Harry and James Rose, and niece Carrie Rose.

Survivors celebrating her life include a niece, Denise Owens, a nephew, Cleveland Glover, and her special friend, David Bradley, Goddaughter, Elizabeth Anne Miller-Hall as well as great- and great-great nieces and nephews, and a host of Sorority Sisters and friends.

Friends received Friday, August 31st, 2018 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Coston Funeral Homes, Inc.- EL 427 Lincoln Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Funeral Service to follow at 12:00 pm. Professional services entrusted to Coston Funeral Home, Inc. 412-661-5916 www.costonfuneralhome.

Family request that donations made in honor of the late Emma Rose be sent to National Alzheimer's Research Association
https://alz.org/get-involved-now/Other_Ways_to_Give/Donate

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