Alice Jean Rouse

Alice Jean Rouse passed away from natural causes in the presence of family at CHP Hospice Care in Defiance, Ohio on Feb. 7, 2024. 

Alice was born to Florence and Virgil Smalley in Carey, Ohio on December 20, 1928, attended high school in Whitehaven, Tennessee, but graduated from Upper Sandusky High School in Ohio.

She married former Wauseon Chief of Police, Carl R. Rouse, in Fostoria, Ohio on December 30, 1956.

Alice was employed at Fostoria Cartage and then after moving to Wauseon, worked as the administrative assistant to the controller at McCord Radiator & Manufacturing Company until her retirement.

Alice had a special place in her heart for veterans and was a long-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 265 and the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW Post 7424, where she served multiple terms as president and vice president. She was a staunch advocate for education on proper flag etiquette.

Alice was a true "logophile" and had a deep appreciation for words and their meanings. She enjoyed playing "Scrabble" and "Words with Friends" with loved ones near and far, as well as watching game shows such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy". She also enjoyed staying in touch with people she knew on Facebook. In her younger days, she loved to bowl, play cards, go to the lake, crochet, and make tasty meals for family get-togethers. She loved music from many genres.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents, her three brothers Dale, Richard (LaDonna), and James (Eva Grace) Smalley, her daughter-in-laws Karen and Shirley, her husband Carl, her nephews Jeffrey, Michael, and Steven Smalley and her beloved granddaughter, Tracey Spoon.

She is survived by her sister-in-law Lucille Smalley, nieces Debbie Smalley and Linda Hagerman, nephew Keith Smalley, stepdaughter Teresa (Stephen) August, stepson Carl L. Rouse, granddaughter Ashley (Jasen) Ickes, granddaughter April (John) Carmody with great-grandsons Jacob and Joshua, granddaughter Sharon (Shaun) Cain with great-granddaughters Kaylee, Rabecca, Breanna, and Alyssa, as well as great-great-granddaughters Ellizabella and Lilith.

Alice leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and strength that will be cherished by her surviving family and friends. While we mourn the loss of a remarkable woman, let us also celebrate the incredible life she lived.

A celebration of life will be held in the Spring for family and close friends. Thereafter, her ashes will be interred with family at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Sycamore, Ohio.

Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. The Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home of Wauseon is honored to serve the Rouse family.

The obituary for Alice was lovingly prepared by her family.

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