Obituary for Rose Allston Woodside
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Meeting ID: 847 1273 8748
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Rose Allston Woodside was born to Richard Allen and Lorena Drayton Allston on June 18, 1927, in Georgetown, SC. At six months old she became a part of the Great Migration and moved with her family from the South to Newark, NJ, in search of better job and educational opportunities. In Newark she was raised with her sisters Allean, Murdelle, and Bette, and her brother Richard.
After graduating from South Side High School in 1945, Rose began working as a Clerk-Stenographer at the
Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Newark’s City Hall as their first African American employee. She was later
employed by Provident Hospital, FL; Greystone Hospital, NJ; and the Newark Manpower Development and
Training Center, where she provided secretarial skills to the next generation of office workers. After 30 years
of dedicated service at the Newark Housing Authority, Rose retired as an accomplished Executive Secretary
and a highly respected employee, leader, and union officer, who helped to organize Local 305 of the Service
Employees International Union, providing generous benefits for retirees for decades.
Rose spent most of her life in Newark in active service with the NAACP, the Glamorous Grandmas, the Girl
Scouts, the Experienced Senior Citizens Club, and other civic organizations. Rose relocated to Fort Lauderdale,
FL, in 1948 where she married Alphonso Payne Woodside and had two children, Iris and Bryan, who died as a
premature newborn. Anyone that knew Rose understood that she was extremely organized and super-efficient. She was also a fun-loving person who loved to dance, entertain, and party with family and friends. In the 1940s, she was quite the dancer and planned to attend the Katherine Dunham School of Dance in Harlem, but another job opportunity presented itself. This did not stop Rose, in her own words, from “dancing on many different sets.”
Rose was a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who was affectionately called “Mimi” by her granddaughter Assata, her great-grandson Tariq, and their many friends. She was also called “Mama Rose” by
her South African extended family. She never forgot a birthday, graduation, or special event in her loved ones
lives. Her card was usually the first card that people received.
As the matriarch of her family, she was blessed to live nearly 95 years. She treasured every day of her life and
filled it by spending time with close friends, traveling to South Africa and the Caribbean, raising funds for
community projects through the sale of her famous tissue boxes, and worshipping at St. James A.M.E. Church
in Newark, where she was a member for 65 years and served on the Marie B. Moses Scholarship Committee.
She never missed an opportunity to vote and was excited to witness the election of the first African American
President—not once, but twice. Upon moving to Washington, DC in 2015, she attended Lincoln Congregational Temple United Church of Christ and became a member of Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ. She expanded her friendship circle in DC, and had an amazing and active social life.
Rose Allston Woodside died peacefully at home in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2022. She is survived by her
daughter “Adora” Iris Lee, granddaughter Assata Lee, great-grandson Tariq Lee-Grimes, brother Richard Allen
Allston, goddaughter Myrna Bradley, godson Barry Tucker, Jr., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and
dear friends. When Mimi took her last breath, she was listening to her favorite gospel song, “God Is,” and as
soon as she closed her eyes for the last time, the music stopped. While Rose took the music with her, she left
us with many fond memories to last a lifetime.
OR
enter this ID and Passcode into your zoom application:
Meeting ID: 847 1273 8748
Passcode: Rose
Rose Allston Woodside was born to Richard Allen and Lorena Drayton Allston on June 18, 1927, in Georgetown, SC. At six months old she became a part of the Great Migration and moved with her family from the South to Newark, NJ, in search of better job and educational opportunities. In Newark she was raised with her sisters Allean, Murdelle, and Bette, and her brother Richard.
After graduating from South Side High School in 1945, Rose began working as a Clerk-Stenographer at the
Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Newark’s City Hall as their first African American employee. She was later
employed by Provident Hospital, FL; Greystone Hospital, NJ; and the Newark Manpower Development and
Training Center, where she provided secretarial skills to the next generation of office workers. After 30 years
of dedicated service at the Newark Housing Authority, Rose retired as an accomplished Executive Secretary
and a highly respected employee, leader, and union officer, who helped to organize Local 305 of the Service
Employees International Union, providing generous benefits for retirees for decades.
Rose spent most of her life in Newark in active service with the NAACP, the Glamorous Grandmas, the Girl
Scouts, the Experienced Senior Citizens Club, and other civic organizations. Rose relocated to Fort Lauderdale,
FL, in 1948 where she married Alphonso Payne Woodside and had two children, Iris and Bryan, who died as a
premature newborn. Anyone that knew Rose understood that she was extremely organized and super-efficient. She was also a fun-loving person who loved to dance, entertain, and party with family and friends. In the 1940s, she was quite the dancer and planned to attend the Katherine Dunham School of Dance in Harlem, but another job opportunity presented itself. This did not stop Rose, in her own words, from “dancing on many different sets.”
Rose was a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who was affectionately called “Mimi” by her granddaughter Assata, her great-grandson Tariq, and their many friends. She was also called “Mama Rose” by
her South African extended family. She never forgot a birthday, graduation, or special event in her loved ones
lives. Her card was usually the first card that people received.
As the matriarch of her family, she was blessed to live nearly 95 years. She treasured every day of her life and
filled it by spending time with close friends, traveling to South Africa and the Caribbean, raising funds for
community projects through the sale of her famous tissue boxes, and worshipping at St. James A.M.E. Church
in Newark, where she was a member for 65 years and served on the Marie B. Moses Scholarship Committee.
She never missed an opportunity to vote and was excited to witness the election of the first African American
President—not once, but twice. Upon moving to Washington, DC in 2015, she attended Lincoln Congregational Temple United Church of Christ and became a member of Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ. She expanded her friendship circle in DC, and had an amazing and active social life.
Rose Allston Woodside died peacefully at home in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2022. She is survived by her
daughter “Adora” Iris Lee, granddaughter Assata Lee, great-grandson Tariq Lee-Grimes, brother Richard Allen
Allston, goddaughter Myrna Bradley, godson Barry Tucker, Jr., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and
dear friends. When Mimi took her last breath, she was listening to her favorite gospel song, “God Is,” and as
soon as she closed her eyes for the last time, the music stopped. While Rose took the music with her, she left
us with many fond memories to last a lifetime.