Obituary: Bob Rose (1973)

Obituary from the July 1973 issue of the Socialist Standard

It is with deep regret that we record the death of Comrade W. Rose on 18th April. The news came as a sudden shock just before the Annual Conference, at which his cheery presence was taken for granted.

Bob, as he was known to everyone in the Party, joined the Lewisham Branch in 1938. Throughout the years he attended the Branch regularly and was one of its mainstays; of late he had taken on the job of organizing the Branch lectures.

He retired from his job as a fitter with London Transport only two years ago, and was often heard to say that he looked forward keenly to retirement—his “release from wage-slavery”—so as to be able to give all the time he could to the Party. He did so. In the recent GLC election campaign he was continually active, helping in the Clapham area with all the jobs that had to be done. Perhaps he did too much.

Bob was a member of the Party’s Executive Committee for a time. In recent years he joined the Propaganda Committee and took on the job of keeping the records of meetings everywhere. He was always ready to speak on the outdoor platform when required; he often spoke in Hyde Park, where his blunt and down-to-earth approach to the Socialist case engaged the interest and sympathy of his audiences. He also represented the Party in one G.L.C. election.

He was cremated at Croydon, with a number of members present. To Ellen Rose, his widow, we extend the sympathies of all her and Bob’s fellow-Socialists—and do so in the knowledge that she will be carrying on with Socialist work where he so prematurely and tragically left off. Members like him—dependable, ever-willing, and always full of enthusiasm—are not easy to find or replace.