Thelma Desmond DeRose
Thelma Desmond DeRose, 90, passed away Sunday, April 21, 2019, at Jefferson Hospital.
She was born July 18, 1928, in Washington, a daughter of the late Joseph and Mary Gallo Desmond.
She lived most of her life in Washington.
Thelma graduated from Trinity High School in 1945 and from Penn Commercial College in 1946.
On August 6, 1949, she married Francis DeRose, who passed away in 2009.
Thelma had several jobs but the one she worked at the longest and enjoyed the most was working as a teacher’s aid for Intermediate Unit 1 in Washington.
She taught special education at grade school level to children at several schools in Washington until she retired in 1990.
Thelma loved her students and found joy teaching and seeing her students’ success.
She loved music, especially swing music played by big bands, to which she could dance. She was an accomplished dancer and especially loved dancing with her husband and best friend, Francis “Dee.”
Thelma was a member of Holy Trinity National Catholic Church where she volunteered at their fish fry.
She has two sons, Kevin DeRose and Jeffrey DeRose, both of South Park; and two daughters-in-law, Becky and Sidra, whom she considered the two daughters that she never had.
Thelma enjoyed being part of a large family. She had five brothers, Louis, Samuel, Anthony, Pete, and Joseph; and three sisters, Katherine Jones, Rose Ferry and Mary Romano. All of her siblings are deceased.
She has four grandchildren, Haley Nicole, Angela Ardis, Elisa Christine and Bethany Jane DeRose; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Friends will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, in William G. Neal Funeral Homes, Ltd., 925 Allison Avenue, Washington, where services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 25, with Father Mark Swoger officiating. Burial will follow in Washington Cemetery.
Additional information and guestbook are available on line at www.NealFuneralHome.com.