Rose Ann Ames
To paraphrase A.A. Milne “How lucky are we to have someone who makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Rose Ann (Volpe) Ames of Southington, CT is our special someone who is so hard to say goodbye to. She left us on September 3, 2026, exactly 47 years after her husband, Jim. She adored and was adored by her friends and colleagues but no more so than her children and grandchildren: Jamie Ames & Stephanie Sawyer-Ames with Olivia & Sawyer; Joanne Ames; Sandy & Jere Ames-Johnson with Colin, Chris & Conor; Scott & Monica (Micari) Ames with Madelyn, Spencer & Grace; Glenn & Pam (Baigert) Ames with Cooper & Carson.
Rose was born and grew up in Harrison, NY. As a young career woman, she loved commuting into the city for work until she married Jim Ames in 1955 and changed states. Although her days in CT far outnumbered those in NY, she identified as a lifelong New Yorker. Among a sea of Red Sox fans, she loved the Yankees and passed that love down to a few of her children and grandchildren.
She didn’t believe in her own beauty. We all think of her as the epitome of an elegant lady with her lovely manners and beautiful outfits, but she didn’t. Once someone commented that she looked like a Senator’s wife in a photo, and she thought she was being mocked instead of praised. Her single pearl pin and heavy gold jewelry were trademarks.
Rose took great care of those she loved and never arrived empty handed. It could be something she’d found on a shopping trip, a beautiful homemade item or one of her baked specialties. Sometimes all three! She was known for her fried chicken, bread, chocolate mousse, honey buns at Christmas and so many other delectable things. No one ever left her home hungry.
Her house was the hub for her friends, as well as those of her children. The rotating cast gave her many monikers – Mrs. Ames, Aunt Rose, Rose, Rosie, Rosebud, Mom, Mommy, Ma and Grandma. We will miss them all! She had a wonderful core group of friends, and it wasn’t unusual to see her with a cup of coffee and a cigarette (back in the day) over a midnight game of Scrabble with Ruth. Scrabble was Rose’s game!
Rose’s warmth and broad smile charmed far beyond her house. At 87, she got a tiny tattoo in Paris. The artist was a young French Polynesian man covered in tattoos. He changed the head banging music in the shop to Sade, because he didn’t have her requested Frank Sinatra. He counted down each time before he touched her skin so she’d be ready. When she went to pay, he demurred. “No. You broke my line.” He meant she was the oldest – and coolest –person he had tattooed, and it was on him.
Rose was strong – mentally and physically. She had to be to raise five children after her husband died. Even before that, she was the emotional center of the family. She was a loving presence after her morning coffee, but woe to the child who had to wake her up for lunch money, a clean uniform or a permission slip signed. Rose worked at the Board of Education in Southington before moving to Aetna in Hartford, but she often added in another job or two to keep things solvent. Despite her busy work schedule, she showed up at all her kids’ games and school events. She gave her grandchildren the same devotion. Rose attended many baseball games of her grandsons, was game enough to attend a male exotic dance show for her oldest granddaughter’s 21st birthday and recently saw her youngest granddaughter wed.
We joked that she had nine lives with probably a few extra thrown in for an even dozen! Rose broke eight ribs when she tried to move a potting table down a flight of stairs and another time was trapped under a six-foot tall grandfather clock because she thought she could move it herself. She bounced back from a heart attack, several types of cancer, those pesky ribs and broken hips. Even though she was 97 our magical thinking still had her bouncing.
Her Catholic faith was deep and sustained her through her 97 years. She was one of the founding parishioners who helped raise funds to build St Dominic’s in Southington, and in 1981 the first mass was held in the new church. In honor of that connection, Mass will be held at 11:00am on October 2, 2026 at St. Dominic’s.
In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Rose’s favorite charity - Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types, Inc. https://firstskinfoundation.org
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