Rosanne Dickson

Rosanne Dickson

1931-2021

On Tuesday, October 12, 2021 Rosanne Dickson, beloved Mother, Grandmother, Gogo, Sister, Aunt, and Friend passed away after a brief illness.

Rosanne was born on August 3, 1931 in Houston, Texas, where she lived most of her life. She was preceded in death by her parents Dr. J. Charles and Ruth (Phelps) Dickson. Rosanne is survived by her three children and four grandchildren: Charles Musslewhite and his daughter, Chase Musslewhite; Guinn (Mike) Bandy and their children, Nelson and Ruthanne Bandy; and by Dickson (Jackson Gay) Musslewhite and their daughter Lola Musslewhite. She is also survived by two brothers, Dr. Jesse (Cis) Dickson and Jay (Nancy) Dickson, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Rosanne attended Lamar High School where she made many lifelong friends. While at Lamar, Rosanne thrived, enlisting in more clubs and extracurriculars than her children and grandchildren combined. Her ambitions did not wane when she attended Southern Methodist University (SMU). While at SMU, she was a member of the honor society Alpha Lambda Delta, part of the Campus League of Women Voters, Cotton Bowl Beauty Queen, an honorary Cadet Colonel, yearbook editor, and president of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Kappa was an important part of Rosanne's life and she remained very active with the Houston Kappas, receiving her 65-year pin in 2015 with her Kappa daughter, granddaughter and niece all present.

Rosanne later taught history in Washington, D.C. while her then-husband was working for the JAG Corps. After moving to Lufkin, Texas, Rosanne enjoyed being with her in-laws Chilton and Mildred Musslewhite whom she greatly adored, as they adored her.

Eventually Rosanne moved back to Houston with her family. She worked several years for Global Marine Drilling Company and later at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. She ended her career with the Harris County Hospital District Foundation.

Rosanne was crowned a beauty queen three times in two different states, initially at Lamar High School, later as Homecoming Queen at SMU, and finally as the Ashland County (Ohio) Senior Fair Queen. More than a beauty queen, she was also a good friend, volunteer hospital clown, teacher, scout leader, cat lover, and world traveler.

Rosanne loved life, a passion which she shared with her children, grandchildren, and many friends, both young and old. She also passed on her love of adventure to her children by teaching them to water ski, scuba dive, snow ski, camp, and distance cycling. She was skilled at gardening and flower arranging, and was a fantastic cook, all of which she put to good use when hosting family gatherings, dinner parties, and other social events.

Rosanne was passionate about history, dragging her young children to every historical site possible. She loved to read and avidly devoured history novels and biographies up until her final illness. Rosanne enjoyed dressing up in period clothing when she was a docent at Ima Hogg's Bayou Bend home and was a card-carrying member of National Geographic.

Rosanne will be fondly remembered for her exuberance and loyalty, her perfectly manicured nails, her never-empty cookie jar, and her famous yeast rolls. Whether you knew her as Rosanne, Gogo, or our "Yellow Rose of Texas," she will be sorely missed by her family and the many friends she made throughout her life.

There will be a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer that donations be made to the charity of your choice or:

The Council on Recovery, P.O. Box 2768, Houston, Texas 77252 (https://www.councilonrecovery.org/donate-online/)

The Loudonville Public Library, 122 East Main St, Loudonville, OH 44842