Rose Juanita Pinkston

Rose Pinkston Obituary Rose Juanita Pinkston (nee Butts), It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Rose Pinkston of South Euclid, Ohio, who passed away on March 8, 2021 at the age of 95 at the Hospice of the Western Reserve house in Cleveland. Rose was born to Robert and Annie Butts in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the second youngest of four children: Vivian, Martha and Edith. Both parents and her sister, Edith, preceded her to eternal rest. Rose was baptized at an early age at Antioch Baptist Church. She attended Cleveland Public Schools and graduated from John Hay High School (Cleveland Metropolitan School District). Her favorite subjects were music and home economics. She married Theodore “Teddy” Pinkston on September 16, 1950. From this union, one son, Kenneth and two daughters, Janet and Lolita were born. They settled in Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant community and lived there for over 50 years prior to moving to South Euclid. Rose enjoyed being a homemaker. She loved cooking and baking, particularly comfort foods, vegetables from their garden, mouth- watering yeast rolls, beautifully decorated butter cookies, and the best cupcakes ever. She delighted in baking and donating the cupcakes for the PTA bake sales while her children were in elementary school. As a young woman, Rose would often play the violin while her sister, Edith, accompanied her on the piano. The duet could be heard playing during the evening hours in their immediate neighborhood. Briefly, Rose was also a member of the Mount Pleasant Symphony Orchestra. She also enjoyed baseball and from the comfort of her home would watch all the Cleveland Indian’s games and could give the score at a moment’s notice. Rose never missed reading the entire Plain Dealer on Sunday and read it cover to cover and particularly enjoyed reading about the political landscape. Rose knew the power of voting as she cast her vote in each election and was just ecstatic that Joseph Biden won the election. In her spare time, Rose was a self-appointed, consumer quality control inspector and would often contact consumer product companies if the product failed to meet her highest of standards. The companies would often respond with a personalized letter of apology along with free coupons and product! Rose’s husband Teddy preceded her in death in 2014. Teddy was a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he relocated to Cleveland to seek employment opportunities. Teddy’s career as an electrician centered on a conflict with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 38. In 1956, he was denied permanent membership by Local 38, due to his race and subsequently, filed a complaint of racial discrimination against the Union. This case, known as “The Pinkston Case” was first come to a public hearing in Ohio and became a national test case involving discrimination in labor unions. The successful adjudication of “The Pinkston Case” paved the way for a generation of black electricians to become union workers in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 38 and make a living for their families and contribute to the economic development of northeast Ohio. Rose will forever be remembered by her beloved children, Kenneth Pinkston, Janet Banks (Andrew), Lolita Young (Nathaniel), treasured grandchildren, Victoria Young Lipford (Terry), Sean Strother and Catherine Young; precious great-grandchildren, Jada and Chloe Strother, Kamari and Kaliyah Wilson, Jordyn Lipford, brother-in-law Glenn Pinkston (Gerri) of Sarasota, Florida, sisters, Martha Fowler and Vivian Woolley, nephews and nieces, Duane Fowler, Keith Fowler (Chris), Sandra Woolley, Clarice Daniels (Nick), Marquita Lee, Kim Burke (R.Bruce), extended family Evelin Rios and Masario Atkins, along with countless other friends and family. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rose Juanita Pinkston, please visit our floral store. Read More

Rose Juanita Pinkston

February 12, 1926 - March 8, 2021