Rose A Upshaw

Rose Anna Upshaw entered into eternal rest on October 17, 2018. She was born at home in Fanwood, NJ on December 22 1931. She was the first of 6 children born to the late William A. Lee and the late Alma Barnes Lee. Her family affectionately called her “Rosie”.

Rose attended Fanwood-Scotch Plains public schools and graduated from Scotch Plains High School in 1950. On October 15, 1950 she married Theodore Upshaw and out of that union two sons were born, Theodore Jr. and Duane.   

Rose worked for the Federal Government from 1952 to 1955 and from 1957 to 1958. Rose was baptized in 1955 by the late Rev. B.F. Johnson at Metropolitan Baptist Church, Newark, NJ.  When her young sons were Cub Scouts she acted as a Den Mother.

After moving to Montclair, NJ in 1966 she later joined the Union Baptist Church. There she taught Sunday school for several years and later served as Sunday School Treasurer. She joined the usher board in 1994 serving as Chaplain and later Recording Secretary. She was a faithful and interested participant in the church Bible Class.  

From 1968 to 1974 Rose worked for Day Nurseries, Inc. then located in D.C. Rice Hall. From 1975 until retirement in 1996 she worked as a Court Clerk for the Essex County Superior Court. Rose was a member of the National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP and the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary. She was an active member in the Auxiliary and served as Recording Secretary for a number of years. 

Her pleasures were simple. She liked to cook, sew, read, go on day trips, visit the sick and shut in and entertain. She described her picnics and family gatherings as a “labor of love”.

Husband Theodore and son Duane have predeceased Rose. She leaves to mourn: her son Theodore Upshaw Jr., and wife Christina, her brother Robert W. Lee and wife Shirley, her brother William A. Lee and wife Josephine, her sisters Patricia Craig, Constance Mills and Brenda Lee, her daughter-in-law Selena Upshaw, her grandchildren Monique Upshaw, Autumn Upshaw and Keba Florio, 8 great-grandchildren and a host of extended family members and friends. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rose A Upshaw, please visit our floral store.