Wayne E. Rosen, 99, of Jamestown passed away at his home on the property where he was born, on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. He was born Oct. 14, 1923, to Grace (Kennedy) and Walton Rosen.
On Dec. 30, 1944, he married our mother, Lila Lee Cole of Concordia, Kansas.
Surviving, are his children, Pamela Ann Ebert (Ronald) of Lebanon, Susie Rosen (Tim Brickley) of Indianapolis and Greg Rosen (Meloney) of Indianapolis. He had seven grandchildren, Kara Bell (Ebert) of Lizton, Heidi Susong (Ebert) of Lebanon, Gretchen Hollingsworth (Ebert) of Lebanon, Hunter Nickels of Avon, Heather Wardwell (Nickels) of Fishers, Griffin Rosen of Chicago and Evan Rosen of South Bend; 10 great-grandchildren, Lexi Bell of Lizton, Courtney Bell of Richmond, Virginia, Joe Susong; Ann-Marie Susong, Josie Hollingsworth, Lillie Hollingsworth of Lebanon, Olivia Clamme of Fishers, Paige Nickels, Kailey Nickels and Chase Nickels of Avon; and two great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Grace (Kennedy) and Walton Rosen; wife Lila Lee (Cole); daughter Paula Chris Rosen; sister Erma; and brother, Atwood Avery Rosen of Houston, Texas.
In World War II he was assigned to a German POW camp in Concordia, Kansas where early on he was involved in collecting Germans from the Afrika Korps in early ’42-43 and taking them from east coast ports on a train to Kansas. He settled as company clerk, worked for the camp commander, and did all payroll and many clerical duties due to his skills as a typist. Concordia is where he also met our mother and brought her home to Jamestown. His biggest concern was to tell her that his folks didn’t have indoor plumbing.
As a teenager and then post-war he worked for Harry Hovermale at the Standard Oil station in Jamestown. Harry trusted him enough to run the station when he summered in Bellair, Michigan. Among other business ventures, he and his brother Atwood also ran the canning factory in Jamestown where folks could have their produce put in sealed steel cans versus Ball jars.
He was a graduate of Jamestown H.S. Class of 1941, attended Indiana Business College in Indianapolis for accounting and general business and then Lain Technical Institute in Indianapolis and where he studied Tool & Gage Design.
Wayne worked for 35 years at Raybestos-Manhatten in Crawfordsville as an engineer, ultimately becoming Corporate Staff Engineer. He was responsible for tool and machine design, coordinating the logistics of many equipment moves and installation, plant additions and the construction of the R&D Tech Center. His name is on many blueprints there.
He was a member and served as Post Commander of Jamestown Legion Post #395, served on Jamestown Town Board from 1959 to 1968 and also served as Town Board President, and member of Indianapolis Moose Lodge #17.
He designed and built two houses in Jamestown. One on the west side in 1955 and the current house, finished in 1979, where he passed. Wayne loved his family and there were great gatherings on the holidays, always smoking a turkey on the grill for Thanksgiving. He had a project going constantly, whether it was working on his property, making doll houses or sleds for the grandkids or painting, repairing, or installing vinyl siding for his kids’ homes. He also loved dancing and traveling with the love of his life, Lila. Every Memorial Day he took Mom back home to Kansas. They had a true romance, and this year will be their 79th anniversary.
There will be no services. Dad passed away at home peacefully and services were conducted as a wake with family at his home. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Salvation Army or Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis.
Porter and Hunt Funeral Home & Crematory in Jamestown has been entrusted with his cremation arrangements.
Online condolences: www.porterfuneralhome.us.
