Cloudy and Windy, 52° F
(Oct. 9, 1940 - Aug. 19, 2017)
Wayne “Bud” Douglas Rose, 76, of Cody, died peacefully at Spirit Mountain Hospice on Aug. 19, 2017.
Bud was born on Oct. 9, 1940, to William Hugh and Juanita Fay Rose in Cody. He attended schools in Cody until the family moved to Grass Creek in 1954, where he graduated in 1959 from Hot Springs County High School in Thermopolis. He went to Casper College in auto paint and body.
He met his future bride Rita (Witzleben) at the Sportsman Café. They eventually fell in love and married on Dec. 29, 1962. They were blessed with two daughters, Paige and Pam. Had they been boys, they would have been named Waylon and Willie.
He worked at Cody wrecker and Cody Paint and Body. Bud was the caretaker of Riverside Cemetery for 10 years. Later he worked as a truck driver for Dick Jones Trucking. He also worked as an owner/operator while living in Gardiner, Montana, hauling hot mix asphalt to quite a few miles of road construction in Yellowstone.
In 1970, he was part of the squad members who started Park County Search and Rescue. Bud taught all the members how to climb. Bud and his good friend Kirk Waggoner were the first to climb the “needle rock” in the canyon above the Buffalo Bill Dam.
Bud had a true passion for music, and his main interest was the steel guitar. Bud played music at many establishments in Cody.
He had many hobbies, including hunting, fishing, camping and flying.
Bud remarried Jean in September 1990 in Thermopolis. From his marriage to Jean, came a special stepson, Steffon. He always called Bud “dad.”
He is survived by his daughter, Paige (Marc) Kenley of Idaho; brother, Aaron (Dorothy) Rose of Cody; four grandchildren; one great-grandson; nephew and niece; two great-nephews, two great-nieces; one stepson; and eight step-grandchildren.
Bud was preceded in death by his daughter Pam, wife Jean, sister-in-law Patty; and parents William and Juanita Rose.
At Bud’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. An online guestbook is available at ballardfh.com.
Memorials may be made in Bud’s name to Park County Search & Rescue.
