Financial firm owner advised various boards

7/19/2009

William E. Rose, 67, who began an investment company after a corporate career and who advised community and charitable boards, died of cancer Wednesday in the Franciscan Care Center, Sylvania.

He most recently was director of education and economics of Heritage Financial Advisors Inc., in Waterville, a successor to his own Rose Investment Services, which he sold about five years ago.

He went to the office several days a week until he became ill this year, his wife, Sally, said.

Mr. Rose of Sylvania Township came to northwest Ohio in 1983 for a job at the former Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. When L-O-F sold its glass operations, he stayed with what became Trinova Corp., later Aeroquip-Vickers Inc. He oversaw retirement-fund investments and acquired property and casualty insurance. He was named Trinova's assistant treasurer in 1992.

He set out on his own in 1993. Early clients included a group of Aeroquip retirees who knew him, but he later had customers across the country.

"It was all word of mouth - 'I know who's good with my money; he'll be good with your money,'•" his wife said. "He never advertised."

He told clients to phone any time.

Sunday nights often found him taking a call, calming someone worried about the week ahead.

He had been a trustee and board treasurer of the Toledo Community Foundation. He was on the board of the Ability Center of Greater Toledo.

He also advised United Way of Greater Toledo, Central Catholic High School, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts, and the University of Toledo Foundation.

He taught courses at UT and Lourdes College.

Mr. Rose grew up in western Pennsylvania and was a graduate of Beaver Area High School.

He attended Lehigh University and was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

His first job was at Gulf Oil. He moved to other companies, sometimes other states, explaining, his wife recalled, "•'I want to learn something else.' He was always trying to improve."

He was a member of Christ Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are his wife, Sally, whom he married April 1, 1966 ("he wanted a date he could remember," she said); daughter, Holly Westrick; son, Scott Rose; a granddaughter, and brother, the Rev. Dale Rose.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today in the Walker Funeral Home. Services will be private

The family suggests tributes to the Ability Center of Greater Toledo; the Salvation Army, or the Franciscan Care Center.