Rose Louisa Sobol

Rose Louisa Sobol passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family, in Sarasota, Florida, on November 13th at the age of 94. She lived a long and remarkable life, marked by a keen mind, quick wit, relentless pursuit of laughter, athletic ability, and an insatiable appetite for adventure. Raised in New York City, she began her adventurous life early. At 15, she bicycled from the city to Albany, and the following year she rode all the way to Washington, D.C. Rose went on to graduate from Brandeis University, where she played basketball and was offered but did not accept a scholarship from Harvard in their Teaching of Science department. Instead, she began her career as an engineer at Bendix Aviation before becoming a programmer at Computer Usage Co., running programs on an IBM 704 on Park Avenue in New York. Rose met her husband, Donald J. Sobol – then a newspaper reporter, on a successful blind date in New York city arranged by her cousin. They were married in 1955 at the Plaza Hotel and enjoyed an island honeymoon riding scooters and trying an emerging new water sport — recreational SCUBA diving. Seeking to escape cold winters, Rose and Don relocated to Miami a few years later, where they built their home and raised four children. Don took up freelance writing with the support of Rose, achieving success with his hit children’s series, Encyclopedia Brown. She served as his first draft editor for the series frequently contributing humorous lines and even wrote her own dramatic novel - Woman Chief about a female leader of Crow Indians. Rose was a lifelong lover of theater, whether it be Broadway or the local playhouse. She instilled a love of adventure and travel in her children, taking the family on numerous trips, including a cross-country drive across the USA and journeys to Europe. She served as planner, navigator, tour guide, troubleshooter, and “family doctor” for her four children. She fell in love with tennis and became an avid player, and during Wimbledon she would wake early to cheer on her favorite players as if they could hear her. Possessing an extensive vocabulary, she was a formidable word game opponent in person and online. She loved nature and the outdoors, frequently camping with friends, and in later years she volunteered at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Pinecrest community library and went on annual hiking trips in the USA and abroad. Her true love Donald passed away in 2012, bringing to a close a beautiful 57-year marriage. His final book carried the dedication: “For Rose, Who Deserves All the Dedications”. Several years later, Rose reluctantly left Miami for Sarasota. There, she quickly made new friends, embraced clothing with at least seven bright colors, and developed a love of giraffes, assembling a large collection of giraffe memorabilia. She danced whenever the mood struck, with or without a dance floor being available. She never missed a happy hour and loved nothing more than dinner at the bar, with a gin martini as her appetizer. Rose was beloved by all who appreciated her wit, banter, and zest for life. She was especially adored by her grandchildren and delighted in meeting her great-granddaughter, Blaire, this year. Rose was predeceased by her parents, Maurice and Lillian Tiplitz; her brother, Charles; her husband, Donald; and her son, Glenn. She is survived by her three children: • Diane • Eric, and his wife Jodi, and their children Nick, Blake, and Dylan • John, and his children Gregory (his wife Allison and their daughter Blaire), Bryan, and Lauren (and her fiancé Matt Catanzaro), and their mother Donna

Tributes

Rose Louisa Sobol

November 13, 2025