Rose Chen

Rose Chen, beloved mother, grandmother, and cherished by her close friends, passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on November 7, 2024. Married for 50 years to Thomas Chen until his passing in 2011, her story is one of struggle, love, and partnership.

Born in Huangpi, Hubei, China in 1936, Rose fled with her family to Taiwan as a young teen. A responsible daughter, she was helpful around the house, cooking and caring for three younger brothers while her father, a general in the Taiwan army, was often away for months at a time. 

Years later, as a young woman, it was during a hospital stay in Taiwan that she would meet her future husband, Thomas Chen, who was visiting his mother—Rose’s hospital roommate. The two dated, but Tom ended their relationship when he shared his dreams to move to the U.S.—a future he felt could not practically include her. Hurt and having her own dreams for the future, Rose agreed to break it off and stopped communicating with Tom. She soon embarked on a 22-day ocean voyage from Taipei for Los Angeles. After arriving and recovering from major seasickness, she navigated immigration and enrolled at an all-girls school, Mount Saint Mary's College. 

Rose enjoyed her fresh start in L.A. and unbeknownst to her, Tom landed in NYC to pursue a career in banking, working several jobs to make ends meet. After experiencing sleepless nights thinking about his dear Rose and realizing how much he missed her, Tom reached out to her family back in Taiwan only to discover she had already left for the U.S. and was attending college “somewhere in California.” Tom had no idea where Rose was enrolled, but he resourcefully consulted his Webster’s Dictionary which had a list of U.S. colleges; with an educated guess he called one registrar’s office and to his delight found where Rose was enrolled. Tom eagerly reconnected with Rose sending a first-class plane ticket to NYC and greeting her at the airport with a limousine. The two would later marry on September 2, 1960 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral before heading to their residence at Central Park West. Their marriage was filled with adventure, sacrifice, and hard work, living in many cities including Manhattan, Somerset, NJ, Ridgefield, CT, Elmira, NY, Jakarta, Indonesia, Singapore, Atlanta, Beijing, and Shanghai, China. 

Early when living in Atlanta, Rose opened the Asian Bazaar -a boutique shop, located at the Atlanta Flea Market. Over the next decade, she made many friends and enjoyed helping her customers appreciate and enjoy Chinese culture and fashion. 

As an avid fitness enthusiast, Rose loved staying active and enjoyed starting each day at LA Fitness. She was model student in the front row of her aerobics classes. 

In December 2012, Rose prayed to receive Christ as her Lord and Savior through a Bible Study Fellowship class in Edina, MN. We are grateful knowing she is now reunited with Tom in Heaven. 

Always stylish, Rose never left the house without wearing her signature pink lipstick, countless accessories, and her bright, fashionable outfits. She made friends easily with her inviting personality, beautiful smile, and ability to laugh with others. Rose and Tom enjoyed sharing their hospitality with many friends over the years, often preparing multi-course dinners. She was a wonderful cook and especially loved creating and sharing her beautiful salads. 

Rose is remembered and survived by her daughter, Rosalind Wright, her husband John, and their children Brandon and Lauren; as well as her son, Steven Chen, his wife Yingling Zhu, and their children Jordan and Alexander. Family and close friends will gather for a private celebration of life over her birthday weekend on May 4th, 2025 to commemorate Rose’s life and celebrate the impact she had on all of our lives. We will miss her dearly!