Rose Marie Sharp

Rose Marie Sharp was born in Los Angeles, California on October 21s, 1918. She died peacefully at home on July 20th, 2024 in Moscow, ID. She was 105.

Her mother, Filomena Paglia Chitwood emigrated from Baia, Italy in the year 1900.  Minnie (her mother) came with her mother and sister in steerage on the ship named Aller.  They landed at Ellis Island and then lived in Pennsylvania for a while before moving to California.

Minnie married Ignazio Pontrelli in 1913 and they had one daughter Rose.  After they separated, Minnie went to work to support herself and her daughter.  She was a court interpreter for the city of Los Angeles and met Edgar A. Chitwood a police captain, there.  They married and he adopted Rose.  He was the only father she ever knew.

Rose grew up in Los Angeles California, attended UCLA and received an education degree with a music minor.  Her father was in both World War I (lied about his age) and World War II.  He was a police captain and sometimes took Rose on stakeouts with him (which would never happen these days). She loved her dad and admired his service so much it prompted her to enlist after she graduated from college.

Rose entered the Women’s Army Air Corps in 1943.  She was a dispatcher and had the job of tracking flying hours of the pilots so that they weren’t over the time limit.  She was stationed in Phoenix, Arizona and Stockton, California.  She met Lee A. Sharp, a pilot from Utah, during her time in the service. Before being discharged at the end of the war, she had the rank of Corporal and was close to making Sergeant.

Lee and Rose were married in 1947.  The marriage lasted for almost 50 years until Lee passed away in 1996.  After they married, they lived for a while in the Arizona desert while Lee was doing research  Then they lived in Logan Utah with Lee’s twin brother Dean and his wife Alice while Lee and Dean finished school at Utah State University.  After graduation, they moved to Moscow where Lee was a graduate assistant until he became a member of the staff of the College of Forestry.  They had one daughter, Peggy Lee.

Rose married Robert Strub in 1997 and got a bonus daughter, Marylee, who she loved as her own.  They were married a short while before Bob died in the early 2000’s.

While living in Moscow, Rose was one of the first kindergarten teachers at the Presbyterian Church (now Moscow Day School).  Many years later she also helped Peggy with her class at St. Mary’s School in Moscow, ID.

Rose always wanted to travel and in the 2000’s made many fun trips with her good friend Beth Seale.

She became a member of the American Legion and held the offices of both Chaplain and Commander.  She was very proud of serving our country.

Rose is survived by daughters Peggy Quesnell (Bart) and Marylee Strub, grand- children Amie Aasen-Quesnell (Jan), Mindy Rice (Jeremy) and Anthony Quesnell, grandchildren Natalie and Nicole Rice and Lea Dussurget.

The family is thankful to the caregivers from Family Resource Home Care, In Home Care for You, Seuberts, Tina, Cheyanne, Donna, Erin, the VA, Dr. Baldwin, and all those who cared for her over these past years.  Thank you to Deacon George Canney and Father Benjamin Onyemachi who were able to come to the house for last rites.  She was blessed to be able to stay at home until the end.

A graveside service will be held on August 8th, 2024 at 11:00 at the Moscow Cemetery.

A Memorial Mass will be held in the fall.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The St. Mary’s School Foundation, Dudley Loomis Post 6 of the American Legion, or the Lee A. Sharp Scholarship for Excellence in Range Management at the University of Idaho.