Rose Marilyn Beck Stallins

Rose Marilyn Beck Stallins of Panama City, Florida passed away peacefully in the company of her son Joel Scott Stallins and his wife Emily De Lora at their home in Buford, Georgia on Sunday, February 19th. Rose was under their loving care day and night following a stroke in November of 2022. Schoolteacher, animal-lover, poet and easy friend, few were not touched by her kindness, patience, and optimism. Rose gave freely of her time and attention to those around her, and she was never quick to judge. Rose loved every day and will miss the world as much as the world will miss her. Rose was born in Princeton, Kentucky (Caldwell County) on Oct 27, 1931 as the second child of James T Beck and Sarah Jackson Beck. Rose was preceded in death by her first husband Joel Norman ‘Bud’ Stallins in 1976 and of recent, her brother James ‘Jim’ Beck of Danville, Kentucky. Rose was a mom not only to Scott and to Jon Anthony Stallins of Lexington, Kentucky. Rose also counts among her children Gregory Scott Russell of Panama City and Debbie Russell Walker of Atlanta; both came to her through a second marriage. Greg and his wife Amy looked in on Rose often in her later years, and took her out to eat weekly. Rose’s nephew and niece in central Kentucky, Dale Beck and Marilyn Beck, have also remained close to Rose over the years whether by phone or on visits to the beach. Rose had six grandchildren: Lucas Scott Stallins, Halley Lauren Stallins, and Stacey Nicole Stallins all of Atlanta (Scott and Lisa Stallins); and Sophie Lorelei Watson, Katherine Jane Stallins, and Sara Rose Stallins of Lexington Kentucky (Tony Stallins and Kelly Watson). Rose’s fifteen great-grandchildren include Landyn Stallins, Jayden Stallins, Jackson Stallins, Graylan Stallins, and Myles Stallins (Luke and Whitney Stallins); Haylan Stallins, Ty Cunningham, Colson Taylor, Eli Cunningham, Piper Cunningham, Beckett Cunningham, and arriving soon Mira Leigh Rose Cunningham (Halley and Ben Cunningham); and Trinity Kirkland, Tristan Kirkland and Taliyah Kirkland (Stacey Stallins). After attending Butler High School in Princeton, Kentucky, Rose graduated from Murray State Teachers’ College in 1954 with a degree in Elementary Education. She then bought her first car and moved to St. Louis on her own, where she took a job teaching third grade. Upon marriage to Joel Norman Stallins of Princeton, Kentucky several years later, Rose taught elementary school in Lexington, Kentucky and Knoxville, Tennessee before setting down to raise her family in Panama City, Florida in 1968. Rose started teaching again full-time in 1977 at Northside Elementary. Rose enjoyed children. She can be quoted as saying she never met a child she did not like. Her gentle demeanor was a reason the schoolkids who needed love more than others were often put in her class. Rose continued teaching at Northside until her retirement in 2003. In addition to her family, Rose will miss the many friends who recognized her sweetness, more people than can be named individually here. This would include long ago friends in Panama City, those teachers and students who passed through Northside Elementary, the members of the Bay County Retired Teachers association, and Rose’s fellow parishioners at the Village Church of St Andrews. Rose is now with those in these circles who have departed before her. This includes her friend and fellow teacher Leah Helms as well as her son Grant. For the living, Rose’s departing brings together threads of memory that form the companionship shared in minutes, hours and the days that accumulate into years. Rose has in her heart another dear friend of many decades she leaves behind, Mary Sue Watts, with whom she shared a set of experiences up to the present, from raising boys to taking care of each other’s pets. Rose will miss Mary Sue’s checking in on her, her phone calls, as well as the many lunches and jaunts they took around town during their time together. A remembrance will be held in Panama City at the Village Church of St. Andrews on Saturday, March 18th at 3:30 pm. Please come and share your memories and stories about Rose. Following this, a gathering will be held at the home of Greg and Amy Russell. You may also contact ja.stallins@uky.edu for details about this day set aside for Rose. Pets were Rose’s greatest indulgence. She cared deeply for those dogs and cats that came into her orbit. Rose was also charitable at heart for the downtrodden. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society of Bay County or the Panama City Rescue Mission for the Homeless.

Rose Marilyn Beck Stallins

October 27, 1931 - February 19, 2023