Obituary of Rose Marie Clasen

Rose Marie Clasen (nee Durant), 93, left this life surrounded by love and family on August 27, 2023, in Tampa, FL. She was preceded in death by her husband Walter F. Clasen Jr, her mother Frances Bakota Banish Durant, her father Roscoe Durant, her brother Fred, and her sisters Mary and Ginny. She leaves behind two daughters, Melody Baker (Chuck) and Joy Hill (Roy), and one son, Christian Clasen. She also leaves five grandchildren: Jennifer Marti (Rob), Jeff Baker (Heather), Kelly Stringfield (Dennis), Jaclyn Flynn, and Joshua Hill (Deanne), six great-grandchildren (Quinn, Tristan, Morgan, Campbell, Liam, and Bentley), and countless friends who will all miss her so much.

Rose never knew a stranger and made friends wherever she went, whether it was on a plane, in a restaurant, or at US Bank where she worked for 30 years. She seemingly remembered every detail of that meeting and that person. She was well-known around south St. Louis County, loved by all, and remembered fondly - everyone knew Rose. She always went out of her way to be a friend, showing endless kindness and support. And as well as everyone loved her, she loved them right back and they knew it. She rooted for your success, celebrated your wins, and comforted you in your losses. There was no better cheerleader.

She loved living life and always wanted everyone around her to enjoy it, too. Birthdays were celebrated to the fullest no matter how old you were, and she could host a get-together like no other (and always perfectly coordinated). And if those get togethers had champagne and shrimp, so much the better. Life was meant to be lived, and she truly lived every minute of hers.

She loved traveling, and whether it was to a local winery, another city, or to another continent, she was always on the go, and always 5 minutes late. There was no getting lost - it was just an adventure. She was a voracious reader and read constantly, even after her eyes began failing her and she had to switch to audible books. She loved visiting museums and churches, going to the library, going to the theater where she volunteered for years as an usher, and was a life-long fan of all music, but especially Barbra Streisand. She was a devoted Christian and very involved with her church, whether it was teaching Sunday school, ushering, or attending Bible study. She was a founding member of Calvary Presbyterian Church, where three generations of her family attended and were baptized.

Our world may be a little quieter and a little less colorful now, but Rose left a legacy of love, family, and friendship that will live on in everyone whose life she touched.