By Debbie Hall
Tom Rose, a former Patrick County Administrator, died Friday, June 18, at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
While his death is a shock to many, former co-workers and friends say he will not be forgotten.
“Tom could combine being a friend and being a manager. He had that unique quality,” said Jason Brown, building official with the Patrick County Building Inspection Department. “He could make you feel like a friend and when he needed to be a manager, he could be that too.”
Rose began his tenure with the county in 2007 as economic development director. Brown said he was hired in 1995.
He recalled that “every couple of months, Tom would go by Circle K and come in with a big tray of BLTs for the office staff. He did that for a long time,” Brown said. “Tom was a kindhearted individual, and he will definitely be missed.”
Patrick County Emergency Services Coordinator Steve Allen recalled that he and Rose visited the gym during lunch for about two years, and “we’d always try to outdo each other.”
Melissa Taylor, administrative assistant in the county’s Building Inspection Department, said she worked with Rose for nearly three-years.
“It was a good experience. He was always good to me, and I always enjoyed working with him,” Taylor said.
She also recalled that Rose made it a point to “see that we were all taken care of,” by providing office dinners to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, and cookouts during the summer.
Staff members were important to Rose, according to Taylor, who added that “he was a very caring person.”
Sandra Belcher, director of Tourism, said she worked with Rose for about four-years, and knew to expect laughter “whenever Tom came into my office.”
She recalled that “Tom would always start off the conversation with a light-hearted joke,” Belcher said, noting that he also talked about his family.
“Tom was so proud of his children and his wife. He loved them very much,” Belcher said.
Economic Development Director Bryce Simmons recalled that Rose “was definitely helpful in making me feel included as a new employee. Tom was a very personable person.”
Mike Burnette, who then served as the county administrator, recalled that Rose helped get utilities into the Patrick Springs area. He noted that Rose’s love of the community drove his strong work ethic.
“He focused so much of his time, both on-the-clock and off-the-clock, to find ways to make Patrick County a better place for all its citizens. You can’t ask for more from a community leader than that,” Burnette said, adding Rose served as a role model for many.
“His wife and his kids were always at the top of his priority list,” Burnette said, and added that Rose was “very much a family man.”
Both Burnette and Crystal Harris, chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, said that during Rose’s tenure in economic development, he worked to not only attract companies to the county, but also to keep existing companies operational.
Like many of those interviewed, Harris also recalled that Rose often talked about his family.
“Tom loved his wife and his children so much. He was especially close to his brother, and he adored his mother,” Harris said.
She recalled that when Rose’s mother suffered a health setback, “he was just so devastated. She passed several years ago, and it was a tough time for him. He was just so close to his mother.”
Harris also recalled that Rose coordinated and participated in an annual Chili Cookoff between county employees.
“Tom was always trying to make sure that he beat Shirley Rorrer, and it was always really funny if he didn’t,” Harris said.
Rorrer worked in the DMV Select office until her death last year.
“It’s been a rough year,” Harris said. Rose’s death “is a shock to all of us, and I am deeply saddened for his wife and children.”
Rickie Fulcher, a former supervisor of the Peters Creek District, also said Rose was a community-oriented family man.
“Both of his kids were involved in sports, and when he wasn’t doing county business, he did his best effort to get to their games and watch his kids play,” he said.
Fulcher also noted that Rose was “a good man who did a good job” through some difficult times. Additionally, Rose “was a dedicated public servant who was instrumental in the success of a number of projects.”
Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District, noted that Rose served in various roles during his tenure with the county, including Director of the Patrick County Public Service Authority (PSA), Assistant County Administrator and Interim County Administrator.
Rose accepted the County Administrator post in 2011 and served in that capacity until 2020.
“He got all that stuff rolling and took care of it,” Kendrick said, and described Rose as “a courteous and helpful man who was very close to his kids and wife. If you called him with a problem, he would get you an answer to it,” he said.
During his tenure as County Administrator, Kendrick said Rose often visited local companies to see what he could do to help keep them operational in the county.
“It’s a shame to lose all that talent,” Kendrick said. “He had a lot of education and a lot of talent.”
Brandon Simmons, chairman of the Patrick County School Board, said he got to know Rose while serving with him on a liaison committee.
“When I first got there, we had a few communication problems and we butted heads a little bit. Finally, we just ran into each other in the parking lot outside one day and just talked it out,” he said, adding that afterwards, the two developed “a great relationship” and could call one another and talk about work.
Rose was “a kind of quiet person who didn’t mind cracking jokes or joking around a little bit. Whenever we disagreed, he never had a real bad attitude or got too angry. He stayed pretty level-headed,” Brandon Simmons recalled.
A fund has been created to help his family. Donations to the Rose Family Scholarship Fund may be made c/o BB&T, 100 Stonewall Court, Stuart, VA 24171.
