Mary Jane Rose, August 16,1928-June 8,2011, resident of San Jose, was born in San Jose, the sixth of Mary and Antone Sota's ten children. The family knew hardship, especially after her father died in 1939. She grew up modest, hardworking and responsible. While attending a wedding at the Five Wounds Church in 1948, she met Ed Rose, an ambitious young carpenter, who would cherish her for the rest of her life. They were married on April 17, 1949. She became a full time homemaker, wife, and mother with the birth of her first child, Gary, in 1950, followed by Wayne in 1952. In 1953, the couple began building a home on the family farm in the East Foothills. With the help of family and friends, Ed did much of the work himself, while he held down a full time job and Mary Jane took care of their young family. The project would take almost two years. Although a city girl, Mary Jane loved life in the Foothills, helping her in-laws with the apricot and prune harvests, working in the yard, and raising a family, which grew to include a daughter, Susan, and a son Jim. Weekends would often find family, friends, and their children at the hillside home for barbecues and laughter, for catching up on news, games of "Pedro," or watching her beloved 49ers. Summers meant delicious apricot cobblers made with farm-ripe fruit, and time at the family cottage in Aptos, where the days passed lazily by. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years meant being together with the Sota and Rose families, times she always looked forward to. In retirement, Ed and Mary Jane enjoyed travel to Europe and the Azores Islands, and visiting Lake Tahoe. They stayed busy managing property, and remained active in the lives of their children and grandchildren. Mary Jane lived a long, full, sweet life with a devoted husband, and surrounded by children, grandchildren, family and friends, all of whom she cherished. She is survived by her husband Ed, sons Gary (Jean), Wayne, Jim and daughter Susan Rocha (David), along with nine grandchildren, Sara, Brian, Renee, Brooke, Julie, Matt, Elizabeth, Madeline, and Samantha, and two great grandchildren, Avery and Marcus. She is also survived by her sisters Eleanor Vargas, Gloria McCarroll, and Irene Machado, and brothers Dick, Anthony (Alma) , Clarence, Gerald (Roberta) , and Bill Sota, as well as brothers-in-law Ernie and Jerry (Jo) Rose. Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Thursday, June 16, 2011 beginning at 6:00 PM with a Vigil and Mass Celebration at 7:00 PM at Five Wounds Portuguese National Church, 1375 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose. There will also be a visitation on Friday, June 17, 2011, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM at DARLING FISCHER GARDEN CHAPEL, 471 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, followed by interment at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 2655 Madden Avenue, San Jose, CA. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Mrs. Rose's memory to Regency of Evergreen Valley, 4463 San Felipe Road, San Jose, CA 95135. (408) 532-7677.

Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on June 12, 2011.