Donald Rosen Jr.
Donald Rosen Jr.
On Monday, March 30, Donald Irwin Rosen Jr., most recently of Birmingham, AL passed away peacefully after a long period of illness. Born and raised in Macon, GA, he was an inquisitive child, always tinkering with household gadgets, much to his mother’s angst and then pleasant surprise!
Don’s drive for knowledge was surpassed only by his desire to be the best person he could be by giving back to his community. During his pre-teen years Don achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 12 and he was recognized as one of the youngest recipients in the Southeast.
After graduating from Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, GA, he attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA earning an insurance degree. Following graduation, he combined his desire to “fix” things with his love of community by becoming a contractor specializing in home renovations and construction in the communities of Birmingham, AL and Knoxville, TN.
In 2011, Don embarked on his next chapter when he purchased a 1910 Federal Postal Building on Lake Huron. Along with his twin pups (Gladys and Otis), they made Michigan their home. His love and pride for his historical home were shown by his willingness to give private tours for individuals from the community as well as state historians. Don’s infectious laugh and compassionate nature made strangers into friends and friends into lifetime relationships. Like Will Rogers, who famously said, “A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet”, Don simply never met a person he didn’t like.
Throughout his travels, he touched the hearts and lives of everyone he met. Over the years, Don would continue to cultivate these friendships as he cherished each and everyone of them. If wealth is measured by the people someone has touched during their life, then Don was truly one of the richest people to have ever lived.
Don is survived by his two brothers, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and others that he held dear to him. Don’s final wishes were to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in his beloved Lake Huron. A memorial service is not planned at this time and in lieu of a flowers, Don wished his friends to honor his memory by remembering the great times they shared.