Rose Annette Ruen

On September 26, 2025, the final chapter closed on the remarkable life of Rose Annette Ruen, 86, of Glen Burnie, Maryland — a retired teacher, a former member of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, and lifelong lover of stories, whether found in books or on the silver screen.

Rose's story began on a Spring morning in Philadelphia, where she grew up third of six children to Herman and Berneda Atwell. Rose grew up with her nose in a book and her imagination alight. As a young child she loved to color and play Jacks with her siblings, and spend time with her close family. She entered the convent at 18 years of age, dedicating her life to faith, service, and the transformative power of education. For more than 15 years, “Sister Mary Dolorita” guided classrooms full of students, teaching not only reading and writing but also kindness, discipline, and curiosity about the world. Her classroom was never just about grammar and spelling — it was about opening doors to imagination and encouraging her students to dream bigger than they ever thought possible. Generations of children learned to love literature because she read aloud with the same excitement she felt as a little girl discovering her first novel. 

As an Oblate Sister of Providence some of her assignments took her to Baltimore, Washington, DC, Michigan, and North Carolina. Along her journey she earned her Bachelor's Degree from Wayne State University. By the mid 70's she felt her time as a nun coming to an end. She left the convent and settled in Washington, DC. There she married Dewitt Rue and had two children, David and Davida. As a mother, Rose nurtured her children with the same patience and wisdom she offered her students. She instilled in them the values of faith, kindness, and perseverance, teaching not only with words but with the quiet strength of her example. She spent a number of years working for the Department of Defense. While she excelled in that role, her heart remained with education, and she eventually returned to the classroom — where she would leave her most lasting mark.

 Throughout her life Rose found joy in the worlds of classic cinema and contemporary novels. She loved everything from action/adventure films to the suspense of a well-worn mystery paperback, she delighted in every plot twist and heartfelt ending. She believed stories could carry us through the hardest days, and she often shared her favorites with anyone willing to listen.Her life was one of quiet devotion, quick wit, and humor. She will be remembered not just as a teacher or nun, but as a woman who lived fully in faith and in imagination — a mentor, a storyteller, and a friend.

She is preceded in death by her husband Dewitt, her son David and her siblings Herman, Stanley, Cynthia, Lynda and Brian. She leaves behind her daughter Davida (Allen), and daughter-in-law Juantia Taylor, son-in-law Jerettle Allen, three granddaughters Joy, Nevaeh, and Julia. Rose's legacy lives on in the hundreds of students whose lives she touched — a story beautifully told from beginning to end.