Rose Marzette King Lautz, born June 10, 1941, died on November 11, 2025. Her long and complicated journey through this world came to its close with quiet dignity. She leaves behind a legacy marked by both tenderness and struggle, by deep faith, by enduring hope, and by the fierce desire that life—her own and others’—might be met with compassion.

Rose trained and worked as a Registered Nurse, a role that allowed her to care for the sick with a steady hand and earnest heart. She retired earlier than she planned due to significant mental health challenges, but her instinct to help never left her. She loved being a Girl Scout leader, guiding young girls with encouragement and creativity. She spent countless hours in Bible study, seeking comfort and meaning wherever she could find it. She enjoyed Mexican food, Dr Pepper, and the loyal companionship of her cat—small joys that brightened difficult seasons.

Her life was marked by cycles of harm and struggle, both endured and, at times, repeated. She carried wounds she never fully learned to name. Even with these fractures, she held an unwavering belief that kindness mattered and that the world ought to be made gentler where possible. In her own way, she longed for and desired to participate in the repairing of the world—even as she wrestled with the brokenness in her own story.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arcu Utah King and Jewell Zorrine James King, and her brother, Adrian King.

Rose is survived by her husband, Grover Lautz; her daughter, Linda Burnett, and Linda’s spouse, David, along with their children: Azelin Roberts and spouse Dalton (Amarillo), Joshua Burnett (Amarillo), and Elisa Burnett (Anchorage, AK). She is also survived by her son, David, and his partner, Stephanie Law, and by David’s daughters: Megan Law, Crystal Taylor, and her spouse, Jordan, and their children, Wyatt, Spencer, and Noah. She is survived as well by her sister, Donna Gay Harrison, and sister-in law Fran Monismith.

For those who wish to honor her:
Plant a living tree. In Jewish tradition, planting is an act of hope—life continuing in the midst of death, roots reaching beyond what any one life can hold. Rose had planned to donate her body to help others live; planting a tree carries forward that sacred intention.  Those in Amarillo may contact Sam at Double D Nursery.   For those outside of the Amarillo area, please select a local nursery or consider having a tree planted in her memory in Israel: https://mjaa.org/plant-a-tree/

Support those rebuilding after harm. Donations to groups supporting victims of domestic violence and women struggling to rebuild their lives for assorted reasons honor her belief that nobody should struggle alone. Rose herself made donations to Family Support Services and Martha’s Home.

Family Support Services https://www.fss-ama.org/donate

Martha’s Home https://marthashome.org/give/

Offer comfort to the dying. BSA Hospice of the Southwest welcomes materials for fidget blankets for patients with dementia, bringing peace and dignity to those nearing the end of life.

Rose’s life, like many, was a mixture of beauty and brokenness, persistence and pain, faith and fragility. Remembering her with honesty and compassion allows her story to rest in truth and makes room for healing in the generations who follow.