Obituary of Rose Alice Milliken Nehring

Rose Alice Milliken Nehring died on December 1, 2023, in Tucson, AZ.  Rose was born in Elmira, NY, the twelfth of fourteen children.  She graduated from St. Patrick’s School, Notre Dame High School, and St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Elmira.  She attended the University of New Mexico, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Arizona. As a registered nurse, she lovingly served in Elmira, in Lupaso, United Republic of Tanzania, in Los Alamos, NM, Albuquerque, NM, and Tucson. She achieved the rank of Captain in the United States Air Force, having served during the Vietnam War, when her work as a nurse officer took her to Guam.  

Rose delighted in golf and spread her joy to hundreds of girls in the Tucson Girl’s Golf program, which she helped to found, and which she led for over 15 years.  The program is for girls ages 7 through 17.   Although its objective is merely to encourage love of golf, many of its participants honed skills that prepared them for play on university teams, and one became a touring professional. As the head of the program, Rose’s commitment and charm won the support of many public and private golf venues, each of which gladly made time for the girls’ program to play on their courses.  Rose was also the Captain (coach) of the Arizona team in the America’s Cup, an annual competition among teams of the four of the best girl golfers in each of the western United States, from British Columbia, and from western Mexico. Rose was also on the board of America’s Cup.

Rose had a refined appreciation of flowering plants, especially the abundance of spectacular cacti and other blooms of the Sonoran Desert. She served for several years as the Landscape Chair of the Tanuri Ridge Homeowners Association.

Rose was preceded in death by: her husband, Arthur Nehring, a partner in Nehring, Solot, Walker Insurance in Tucson; her parents, Cornelius Milliken and Jean Sturges Milliken; her sisters, Therese Esposito, Sister Kathleen Milliken of the Sisters of Mercy 1437Blossom Road, Rochester, NY, Helene Clark, Jean Sweeney, and Mary Virginia Welch; her brothers, Cornelius and William.  She is survived by: her loving partner, Tom Callahan; her sisters, Elizabeth Milliken (Jim Williams) of Rochester NY, Margaret Nittinger (Charlie) of Sayre PA, and Anne Henson of Silver Spring, MD; brothers Father Damian Milliken OSB of Tanzania, James (Anna Marie) of Portland, ME, and Joseph (Sylvia) of Van Etten, NY; numerous friends in Elmira and Tucson: 39 nieces and nephews, 67 great nieces and nephews, and a growing number of great-great nieces and nephews who, at Rose’s insistence, call her “Great Aunt Rosie the Great.”

Tributes, not yet scheduled, are planned for Elmira, NY and Tucson, AZ. In lieu of flowers, gifts to any of the following would be greatly appreciated: 

Benedictine Mission House

PO Box 528

Schuyler, NE 68661-0528

(Please specify, “Fr. Damian’s African Mission”)

American Heart Association https://www.heart.org

Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org