Dr. Walter Samuel Rose, age 64, of Indianola, Mississippi, passed away on Friday, March 18, 2022. He was born on May 31, 1957, in Augusta, Georgia, to Dr. Walter Henry Rose, Jr. and Mrs. Julia Ann Clower Rose. At a year old, Sammy moved to Jackson, Mississippi, for his father to begin his journey at the UMMC School of Medicine. In 1963, the family then moved to Indianola which would turn out to be his forever home.

He graduated high school from Indianola Academy in 1975. He was a member of the IA football team, which won many school titles. Following graduation, he attended college at Mississippi State University.  MSU would prove to be some of the best years of his life. He graduated, much to everyone's surprise, with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He was a proud member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He returned to Sunflower, MS, in 1979 after marrying his bride and high school sweetheart, Carol Jeanette Smith. For the next 8 years, Sammy worked in the catfish business for Aqua Harvesters and SAJ Farms. He later moved on to row crops and soon realized that farming full time was not for him. He returned to Delta State in 1984 with his mind finally set on an education. He started over with course work and graduated with a master's degree in Physics from DSU. Upon graduation, he was accepted into optometry school at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. In 1986, he and Carol moved with their 3-year-old daughter to pursue another adventure. He graduated from SCO in 1990 and moved back to Indianola. He worked for Coleman Eye Center in Greenwood for 18 years before opening his own practice, Rose Eye Clinic, in 2008.

During his years of practicing optometry, helping the people of Honduras became a passion like no other.  In 2002 he met Holland Kendall, an electrical engineer from Kentucky.  The two of them brainstormed an idea to create an optical and eye glass ministry that could be sent to all abroad missions.  Upon that idea, Kendall Optometry Ministries was born.  This ministry has traveled to over 80 countries and because of the software and optical capabilities, over a million pair of glasses have been administered worldwide.  In 2016, his son, Samuel, took his own trip to Lima, Peru, carrying the Kendall Optometry Ministries equipment in an attempt to carry out his father's legacy.  While in Honduras, Sammy fell in love with a small child at the Good Shepherds Children's Home. Yolany Ponce Bonilla soon became a common name in his home as he awaited postcards and updates from his sponsor child.  His passion soon shifted from optometry to the children at the Good Shepherd's Children's Home and Christian Academy.  He led a community drive to raise the funds for the purchase of cattle.  Through that ministry, the GSCH now has a complete dairy farm and cattle farm.

Sammy was also an avid boy scout of Troop #41. Earning his Eagle badge plus two palms was one of his greatest personal accomplishments. He traveled with Boy Scouts to Mount Fujiyama in Japan at the age of 13, where he lived through the typhoon of 1970. Later, he returned as the scout leader of Troop #41 and helped many young boys in the community reach their goals of Eagle Scout, including his own son—who beat him by one palm.

Sammy was an avid hunter and sportsman.  He traveled out west yearly, as that was his most favorite place to go.  His love for wildlife and fisheries led him to later serve as President of the Ducks Unlimited.  Most game wardens knew him by name, and he was so fortunate as to have his very own private game warden assigned to him at one point.

In addition to hunting, Sammy was involved locally in the Gideons Ministry, Men's Rotarian Club, and the Emmaus Community.  He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, where he participated in the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class.  However, among all of his accolades, he was most proud of his title as "POPPY."  For the last 10 years, Sammy served as the most loving grandfather.  His passion again shifted one last time, as he became a carpool chauffeur, a chef, a chocolatier, a dance partner, and a tiktok watcher.  It is this title of "POPPY" that he will be the most remembered and the one for which he will be the most missed.

He was preceded in death by his mother, his in-laws, Bonnie and JL Smith, his maternal grandparents, Benjamin Samuel Clower and Pauline Morgan Clower, and his paternal grandparents, Dr. Walter Henry Rose and Florence McNeill Rose.

Sammy is survived by his wife of 42 years, Carol Smith Rose, his father, Dr. Walter Henry Rose, his son, Dr. Walter Samuel Rose II (Lydia), his daughter, Dr. Cassey Rose Hardin (Mark), three grand-daughters, Rose Cameron Hardin, Maryn Claire Hardin, and Everlee Mills Hardin, two sisters, Julia Rose Hill (Allen) and Ann Rose Patridge (Bruce), his brother in law, Jerry Layne Smith, and sister in law, Daphne Smith Cobb, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Celebration of life will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Indianola, Mississippi on Thursday March 24, 2022 at 2pm.  A visitation will precede from 12pm-2pm in Newman Fellowship Hall at FUMC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the First United Methodist Church or Boy Scout Troop #41.