Rosemary Sheives, loving wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and friend, died peacefully on November 18, 2022 at the age of 72. Rose entered into her new life in heaven thanks to her steadfast faith in God. She was married for 49 loving years to Tom Sheives. Together, they raised two sons and watched with pride as their family grew.

Rosemary Brown Sheives was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on July 24, 1950 the second of three children of Ethel and William (Bud) Brown, and resided in Sarepta, La., where she developed a love of music and often played the piano and organ in New Sarepta Baptist Church. She moved to Waco, Texas, in 1968 to attend Baylor University, where she doggedly completed a 5-year degree in 3 years, setting herself up for career success in the education sector. At Baylor, she met the love of her life. Rose and Tom settled in Arlington, Texas, where Rose worked for 30 years as a speech therapist in the Texas public school system. In 2011, Tom and Rose moved to Maryland then Mechanicsburg, Penn., to be closer to family and a Harrisburg University professorship for Tom, respectively. Rose moved back to Texas in 2021, where she enjoyed reconnecting with and investing in her friends and church.

She impacted numerous children through her career and volunteer roles at her church. She also mentored hundreds of people of all ages — children, teenagers, and peers in her community. Rose had the uncanny ability to capture the attention of those around her through storytelling, teaching, listening and gentle guidance.

Throughout her son’s childhoods, Rose was an active and involved parent, serving as a room parent, on the PTA, and teaching church Sunday School and small group Bible study. She continued these efforts after her sons were grown by leading Bible studies amongst her peers wherever she lived. She baked meticulous birthday cakes and homemade donuts for grandchildren, making meals like jambalaya and gumbo to remind her of her Cajun roots. Her southern hospitality was rooted in her Louisiana upbringing.

Above all, Rose was a constant and impassioned source of strength to those she loved. She took great pride in celebrating other people’s success, providing wise counsel at life’s crossroads, and helping to lift others up when they experienced failure. She was fond of sharing her favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord … plans to give you hope and a future.” Rose had a gift for open-mindedness, critical thinking, and the unique ability to not pass judgment on those she counseled. She was the embodiment of unconditional love, a love given freely and intensely with no strings attached. She took inspiration from the words of Corinithians 13:7: “Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, hopes all things.”

Rose was preceded in death by her ever-supportive husband in 2020, her brother, Billy, and her parents. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Paul and Christina of Urbana, Md., and Kevin and Katie of Washington, D.C.; her beloved grandchildren, Meredith (Blake) Fain of Cookeville, Tenn., Kyle, Liam, and Harrison; her brother, Sam (Bonnie) Brown of Raleigh, N.C.; and her sister-in-law, Nanette (Tom) Newbern of Kerrville, Texas. Rose is also survived by her spiritual daughter, Angela (Phillip) Nagano, and spiritual grandchildren, Eden and Ezra, residing in Myanmar. She was very proud of her family and her friends who felt like family, and loved them deeply.

A memorial service to celebrate Rose’s life will be held at Lake Church in Arlington, Texas, at 2 PM on Sunday, December 18, 2022. A reception at the church will be held directly after the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to causes close to her heart: the International Mission Board (specifying Phillip Nagano or the Southern Myanmar Team) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

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