Rose Irene Tyler, 74 longtime resident of Lompoc passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her children on June 27, 2013 after a yearlong battle with cancer. Born October 18, 1938 in Lima Ohio to Gladys and Robert Brown, she moved with her family to this beautiful valley over 45 years ago and never left.
As a Registered Nurse she quickly found her career passion at Lompoc District Hospital in 1966 working every department and ultimately as house supervisor at both the old and new hospital sites. She comforted and cared for hundreds of patients and families over the years while earning the respect of her colleagues. She was arguably responsible for the training of a large majority of the nursing, administrative and medical staff at the hospital as she was never afraid to step in and guide the way. Years later, these seasoned professionals continued to seek out her counsel on a daily basis as her "Rose radar" was rarely incorrect.
Rose was also an unmatched educator, teaching and running the Nursing Assistant program for Allan Hancock College for over a decade. She was also the Certified Diabetic Educator for children and adults with new onset diabetes – a personal passion as she has a son diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
She loved to travel, and could frequently be found imparting humorous stories of her adventures. She especially loved her trips to her beloved cabin at Bass Lake near Yosemite where she spent countless summers with her children and grandchildren.
Rose is survived by her adoring children Rebecca Valverde (husband John) of Arroyo Grande, Rich Tyler (wife Shokai) of Draper Utah, Randy Tyler and Rhonda Tyler of Lompoc as well as her most precious grandsons Matthew, Cody, Nicholas and Andrew Valverde; Jacob and Zane Tyler of Utah and Bat Tyler of Lompoc. She is also survived by a sister Carol Perkins(husband Bill) of Camarillo.
She was preceded in death by her parents Gladys and Robert, her husband Peter, her sister Patty, and her brother Larry
Her friends were too numerous to recount, but she was grateful to all of the staff at Lompoc Hospital, Mission Hope Cancer Center, and especially to Dr. Pierce and Judy Blankenship.
Per her own wishes, no services will be conducted. In Lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Diabetes Foundation or the American Cancer Foundation in her name.
For all of those who knew her, her name perfectly described who she was – The Rose – a symbol of beauty and love cherished for its grace and elegance. Rich in color, vibrant with a strong and thorny stem to protect those she loved. May the angel Rose continue to protect and guide us.