Teacher, Giver, Soror
February 2, 1933 – November 2, 2021
OBITUARY
Black college graduates were a rarity in the United States in 1933, less than two percent of African Americans at the time. Gail Georgene Frazier was born to two of them that winter in Wilberforce, Ohio, which just happened to be home to the country’s first black college, which — like the town itself — was named for William Wilberforce, a British politician and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
Gail’s mother, Elisabeth Anne Frazier. was an English major who taught at the college. Her father, George Thurston Frazier, was an even rarer bird in that era, a black attorney. Gail was their second daughter; the family when completed would eventually also comprise her brother and another sister.
From an early age, Gail showed a remarkable interest in poetry and academics. She would earn her own degree in English literature with a minor in German from Central State University as a member of that school’s first full graduating class. Gail was valedictorian of both her high school class as well as the Central State class of 1953.
With degree in hand, Gail moved to Cleveland and began to teach in the city’s public schools. Three years later, in 1956, she married John B. Rose, Jr. of Stamford, Connecticut, whom she had met as a fellow student.
The new Mrs. Rose earned her Master’s in Education with a concentration in curriculum from The Ohio State University in 1958. Shortly thereafter, the couple’s family began to grow, eventually including Lisa Angela [b. 1962], Laura Ellen [1964], and Gloria Jane [1966].
The family moved to Albion Road in the Ludlow area of Shaker Heights in 1967, joining the early wave of black settlers who integrated what had been the storied planned community rooted in racially exclusive deed restrictions. The family home and its immediate surrounds would be the center of Gail’s life from then until her death, at home, on November 2, 2021.
In 1969, she began to teach at the nearby Moreland Elementary School in Shaker Heights. Sixth grade was her favorite grade to teach because it was the culmination of the children’s elementary school experience. Her classroom became noted for its inviting atmosphere that included blackboards graced by the beautiful handwriting one might expect from a perfectionist.
Gail was a patient, kind and highly professional educator whose career reflected her understanding that teaching was truly her life’s calling.
In 1972, The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation awarded Mrs. Rose a Jennings Scholar Award. Four year later, the Foundation gave her a Special Teacher Award for stellar classroom pedagogy.
As a classroom teacher, Mrs. Rose modeled for students her respect for exacting standards. She encouraged parents to be proactive in their own children’s education. In the 1970s she co-founded the Concerned Parents of Shaker Heights that sought to deal with the semi-hostile reception many black families encountered in the school district.
Gail eventually became chair of the Reading Department at Shaker Middle School. Outside of her professional life, she lent her expertise to a variety of community organizations, including Caring Communities and Rites of Passage. She conducted family learning together workshops in which families discussed books and the learning process.
Mrs. Rose eventually retired from the Shaker School District, but she never retired from teaching or community work. She taught reading at Apex Academy in East Cleveland, Ohio. She taught Sunday School at Imani Temple Ministries and collaborated on the flower committee. For nearly fifty years, she supported the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), organizing many local events and attending its national conferences.
Gail Rose was a seventy-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. A Golden Soror, she was elected twice to serve as basileus of Beta Xi Chapter. She spearheaded economic development, investment and endowment initiatives. She contributed with her sorors to educational efforts for African girls.
Gloria Rose, seated, at home with family and friends
In her leisure, Mrs. Rose enjoyed gardening, crossword puzzles and Sudoku.
In 2018, John B. Rose, Jr. died peacefully at home.
Mrs. Rose is survived by her daughters, Lisa Rose, Laura Rose and Gloria Rose, all of Shaker Heights; sisters, Dr. Constance Robinson of Kettering, OH and Jane Dixon of Ft. Worth, TX; her brother, William Lafayette Frazier of Dumfries, VA; nieces Karla Robinson, Carla (Brett) Chennault, Beth (Ron) Ivy; nephew William Frazier; and two grandchildren, Madeline and Amadou.
A memorial service is scheduled for today, Friday, November 12, at 10a at Lucas Funeral Home, 9010 Garfield Blvd [44125]. Live streaming will be available at www.lucasfuneralhome.com.
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