December 12, 1934 – May 12, 2024
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Rose Marie Kunin, beloved wife and mother, grandmother, friend, and sibling. She passed away on May 12, 2024.
Rose Marie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 12, 1934. She was the youngest of six children. During WWII her family moved from Cincinnati to Russel Springs, Kentucky, where they lived on their family farm throughout the rest of her childhood. She loved country life and developed a great respect for all living things, plants, and animals alike. She learned to be self-sufficient and to appreciate the simple, dignified life of farm living.
Rose was an excellent student with a passion for journalism. After successfully launching the first edition of her high school’s yearbook, using the funds she raised with advertising revenue, she graduated and joined a publishing company as a sales representative in the early 1950s. She toured the US extensively in her first year on the sales team. Her success was rewarded with the opportunity to sell in Europe. She spent time in Germany and France, and after returning to the US, she pursued an education in journalism at UC Berkeley.
Rose and her first husband, John Horan, started their family in the late 1950s. They moved from Berkeley to Washington and then settled back in the Bay Area, where they raised their three children. They settled in Palo Alto, near Stanford Children’s Hospital, because their oldest son, Mark, had special needs. During the 1970s, Rose ran a busy family household with many pets and activities for the children and their neighborhood friends. She managed Mark’s complex needs throughout with dedication and grace.
In the 1980s, Rose met and married Len Kunin, and they moved to Albany, California. Together, they acquired and managed a real estate investment portfolio of properties located in the East Bay. When time allowed, they enjoyed their pets, a shared interest in horses, travel to Arizona, where they had a small vacation home, and spending time with their Grandnephew Eliot, who visited often as a small boy.
After retiring in the 1990s and moving to Pacific Grove, California, they spent many happy years enjoying the unique natural setting of the Monterey Coast. They enjoyed dog walking around town with their Labrador Grover, going to the beach, engaging with neighbors and friends, gardening, reading, and spending time with their granddaughters Camille and Amanda.
After Len passed away in 2009, Rose remained in Pacific Grove with her Pomeranian Foxx, a gift from her son John. He was a dear companion, and they went everywhere together. Rose led a happy, quiet life, full of her favorite pastimes, reading, sudoku, family visits, and sharing time with her dearly loved friends. Her wisdom was a source of strength for everyone who knew her.
Rose is predeceased by her husband, Len Kunin, and is survived by her children John Casey Horan and Kelly Bossut and her grandchildren Amanda Horan and Camille Bossut. Rose’s first-born son, Mark Horan, died in 2003.
The memorial service and celebration of Rose’s life will be held at the Grace Dodge Chapel, Asilomar Conference Grounds, 800 Asilomar Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, from 2pm to 6pm. For questions please contact both Kelly ([email protected]) and John ([email protected]).