Generations of Falls Church City students can tell you the profound influence teacher Peter Rose had on them. His winning smile, his warm demeanor and his genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of children enabled him to connect with students quickly and in a very positive way.

“Meeting Peter was like meeting someone I had known and loved for a long time and wanted to know forever,” Superintendent Lois Berlin said. “His humor, sensitivity and love of life were infectious and he touched many, many students, colleagues and parents through his long career in Falls Church City Public Schools.”

Students missed and often asked about Rose this year after he announced in September that he needed to take an extended leave of absence to focus on his health. The 32-year veteran FCCPS teacher died late Friday night, December 14th, after a long battle with cancer. He was 57.

Rose’s teaching career with the Falls Church City Public Schools began in the fall of 1975. Dr. Warren Pace, then Superintendent, hired him.

“He was very impressive,” Pace said.  “He really knew elementary education, struck me as a very caring, dedicated individual and enjoyed working with children.”

Rose quickly distinguished himself as an extremely effective and favorite teacher among students. Throughout his tenure at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, his evaluations reflected his commitment to students.

“Mr. Rose is a wonderful asset to our staff,” wrote former principal William Thomas. “Because of his intellect and delightful personality, he is able to provide his students with a stimulating program of instruction. He also willingly initiates numerous activities beyond the regular classroom activities. The extremely successful Renaissance Festival and the capably supervised Safety Patrol Program are just two examples.”

Throughout his years in the Falls Church City Public Schools, Rose also distinguished himself as a highly effective teacher leader and was a 1999 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award nominee. Rose served on various school committees and was one of the first Curriculum, Instruction and Resource Teachers (CIRTs) in Falls Church.

“Peter provided outstanding teacher leadership to Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School,” said Assistant Superintendent Gloria Guba. “He offered inspired and informed guidance to all of us and always led with unbridled commitment, expertise, and joy.”

TJ Principal Trudy Taylor remembers how students and staff symbolically paid tribute to Rose in 2005 when the school division’s grade configurations changed, and the fifth grade teacher moved to Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School.

“We gave him a rose bush, which he asked us to plant outside the school,” Taylor said.

Next to the roses, a plaque will be placed in honor of the social studies teacher and the years he taught at TJ.

“That’s what Peter wanted,” Taylor said. “He wanted it to reflect his years of teaching at TJ, rather than his years of life.”

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Principal Ann McCarty recognized Rose’s ability to bring out the best in students and staff from the day she met him.

“Peter was a truly amazing person and you knew it as soon as you met him,” McCarty said. “He was a father, a friend, a teacher who no matter what was always positive, upbeat and reassuring. His ability to connect with students and staff was extraordinary, and we miss him very much.”

Peter Don Rose was born on February 12, 1950 in New York City, New York. He was a graduate of Jamaica High School in Jamaica, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He also earned a Master of Education Degree in Reading from Northeastern University.

His 33-year career in public education began in 1974 at Brookside Elementary School in Yorktown Heights, New York where he taught first grade. He moved to Falls Church, Virginia the following year, and served the remainder of his career in the Falls Church City Public Schools.

Rose is survived by his wife, Susan, and two daughters, Cynthia and Stephanie.