Rose Bolomey

Rose Leaverne Bolomey -- incredible mother, loving wife -- died in her sleep in the waning moments of Easter Sunday. She was 70, barely more than a month away from her 71st birthday. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March, and had been under the supervision of The Hospice of East Texas in Tyler for several days.

She was born May 13, 1950, in Longview, to Jessebee Hampton McIlveene and Stella Mae Rogers. Rose was fifth of six children, and she graduated from Kilgore High School before earning an Associate's Degree from Kilgore College. She married Rudy Maldonado in 1976 and gave birth to her first child, Eddie, the next year. Middle son Jamie and youngest Adam followed in 1980 and 1983. Rudy passed away in 1983 from a heart condition, and Rose raised her three boys with her mother until Stella's death in 1990.

Rose returned to college in 1991 to earn a teaching degree and certification, raising her adolescent boys on her own while maintaining a steady presence on the Dean's Lists at KC and then at the University of Texas at Tyler, where she would earn her B.S. with honors in 1996 -- the first among her siblings to earn a Bachelor's degree.

She met Stephen Bolomey of Connecticut in 1998, and they married in 2000, and Steve steadfastly remained by her side through her illness. Rose and Steve resided briefly in Kilgore before moving to Longview in 2000.

She was hired in 1997 to fill a part-time position at Pine Tree High School, and the job would turn full-time the next year. She worked with PTISD until her retirement after 18 years of service. She primarily taught history, and also taught English early in her career. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2010-2011. Rose loved her many students and always appreciated their kind words and communication with her as they moved on to various colleges and careers. (And her family still greatly appreciate hearing stories from her former students to this day.)

Rose loved dearly her rescued "grandpups" Lola and Maggie. They kept her company as she read (especially Craig Johnson and Tony Hillerman), painted, enjoyed curating and maintaining a backyard haven with Steve, and doing the New York Times Crosswords. She was an avid Beatles fan since childhood, and enjoyed Hallmark movies and British mysteries in abundance. Rose was an avid supporter of social justice, improved healthcare access, education, and expanded voting access. She had joined the Catholic Church, and held a deep faith all of her life.

Rose is survived by her husband Stephen Bolomey; oldest son Rudolph Edward "Eddie" Maldonado II and his wife Reagan Sapp Maldonado; second son Jamie Maldonado; and youngest son Adam Maldonado; and grandpups Lola and Maggie Mae. The family all continue to reside in Longview.

Donations in her memory may be made to ovarian cancer research, pet rescues, in support of expanded healthcare, expanding voting rights, and social justice reform.

Cremation was performed by Ingram Funeral Home in Quinlan. No funeral will be held, but a small private gathering is scheduled in the near future, and tributes may be shared here.