Morris Wayne Rose, 79

Morris "Morrie" Rose, 79, died in Kalispell on June 9, 2024, after a long battle with COPD. He was the son of Ed Rose and Florence (Thorvilson) Rose and was born at the Kalispell General Hospital on April 13, 1945. 

He attended Russell Elementary School, Central Junior High, and graduated from FCHS and the University of Montana in Missoula. 

After graduation from college, he was drafted and served his time in the army in Berlin, Germany. He was a patriot who believed that everyone should serve his or her country in some way. Aside from regular army duties, he did guard duty on the Berlin Wall, where he heard East German guards shooting at people who were trying to escape to West Germany. He also guarded Spandau Prison which housed Rudolf Hess, who was the only one in the prison. 

He was a good athlete and excelled at basketball, baseball, golf and pool. He played basketball through his sophomore year in high school and was the starting pitcher on the Babe Ruth All Star baseball team. He gave up baseball for golf and played on the FCHS golf team. He continued to play basketball and softball on city league teams in Great Falls and Seattle. He was an avid golfer and played golf until the last couple of years when he was forced to quit due to poor health. 

He spent the majority of his life in Great Falls, Seattle and Las Vegas. He returned to Kalispell in 2015 and lived in Whitefish from 2017 to 2024. His primary employment was with mortgage companies, where he worked as a loan officer, manager and owner. He worked as an Escrow Officer at Nevada Title and had his own document service. 

Morrie had a strong work ethic and expected his employees and co-workers to do their part. He had strong opinions and was always willing to share them. He was a risk taker. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn't. He was very generous. One of his hobbies was attending garage sales, negotiating on the price and buying fishing poles and other items that he gave to children in his apartment complex. 

Morrie had a lot of friends. He was still close to many of his friends from high school and established close relationships with people he worked with and recreated with. In his words, he had a "great family" and "excellent friends." 

He was married to Peggy Fisher and Kathy Fisher Clarke. Both marriages ended in divorce. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Peggy. 

He is survived by daughters, Elizabeth Rose of Belt; Megan (Rick) Pomeroy of Monroe, Washington; Sara Kollar of Olympia, Washington; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and a brother, Gary (Janet) Rose of Kalispell. 

There will be a celebration of life later this summer.