Roz Pascoe

Roz Pascoe, aged 57, died of cancer on November 11th 2007. She was born in Leamington Spa in the UK and moved to London when her father became the organist at Southwark cathedral. She attended Godstowe preparatory school in High Wycombe and went on to Down House, a boarding school for girls, for the rest of her school years. She became a jazz dancer and worked on stages in London, Blackpool, Madrid and Guernsey. She also worked on Carnaby Street at its height in the mid sixties. She trained as a secretary but decided to become an animal nurse and began her training at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Harmsworth Hospital in London. For her second year of training she moved to Brecon in Wales where she met her future husband, Peter Pascoe. Together they moved to a practice in Bedford where she worked as an animal nurse. They married in 1978. Later that year Roz and Peter moved to Guelph in Canada for a 1 year internship. This move meant that Roz could not work so she enjoyed the company of two other spouses who were similarly unemployed and she also volunteered for a literacy program. The 1 year position stretched to 11 during which time she had her three daughters and spent her time looking after her family, caring for another child before and after school, and volunteering in the schools. The family were active members of Harcourt United Methodist Church and Roz sang in the choir and enjoyed playing the role of Mrs. Potiphar in their production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' - her prior stage experience standing her in good stead. In 1989 she moved to Davis with her family. She continued to be an active participant in her children's education and activities. Most organizations connected with the children soon recognized Roz's ability as an organizer and tapped her skills to their benefit. The family attended Davis United Methodist Church where Roz again sang in the choir and enjoyed reading the Sunday scripture to the congregation. She became a US citizen in 1997 so that she could vote and participate in local elections and served as a poll worker on many occasions. She also volunteered in the community and was an active member of Citizens Who Care, Food Bank, Farm Circle, the Odd Fellows and the Yolo Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. She was one of the first volunteers in the Yolo CASA program and was particularly passionate about her work for these children. Roz enjoyed her own company and loved to be at home reading or doing sudokus but she also enjoyed traveling and had wonderful opportunities to do so. Despite a lifelong attention to living healthily she was diagnosed with advanced metastatic cancer at the end of 2006. She bore her illness with grace and courage, despite debilitating pain and paralysis, but was greatly saddened by the thought that she would not get to see her two grandsons grow up. She was lovingly cared for by her daughters (Jordan, Emma and Laura), her husband, her mother (Faith), Denise Lichtig, Dr. Joan Smith-MacLean, Yolo Hospice and many friends and relations during the latter months. A celebration of her life will be held at 2 pm on Sunday 25th November at the Oddfellows' Hall, 415 Second Street, Davis. In lieu of flowers please send donations to Yolo CASA http://www.yolocasa.org.

---

---