World Warfare II vet who went on health kick at 96 dies at 105

Joseph Rosa was a World War II veteran, self-made millionaire, keen gamer, avid golfer, and woman man, so were his family and friends. But he is perhaps best remembered for transforming himself into an extraordinary sports rat.

Rosa, who died in Las Vegas on June 15 at the age of 105, gained local notoriety for his recovery after being hit and missed outside a Fresh and Easy grocery store in Sun City Summerlin in 2011. He was left with a broken back and left leg, and doctors warned him that he would likely never walk again.

But Rosa, then 96, did not buy this gloomy prospect.

He joined a 24-hour gym and was back on his feet within four months.

“He taught me to play golf in six months,” said Aaron Clay, Rosa’s friend and former personal trainer, recalling this week.

Although Clay became a broker and left the health club, he and Rosa continued to eat breakfast together for years. Rosa went to the gym three times a week for nine years and became a local celebrity among the members who used the club every morning. The Summerlin gym celebrated its 103rd birthday in 2018.

The fitness kick was a departure from Rosa’s normal habits.

Born on December 9, 1915, three days before Frank Sinatra, Rosa attributed his longevity to two of the singer’s most popular food cravings – “Schnaps und Frauen”.

As one of eight children of two Italian immigrants, Rosa grew up in the Watts neighborhood of southern Los Angeles during the Great Depression, said nephew Tim Rosa. As a teenager, he worked at Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., stealing cakes from his mother to sell for a quarter, and making paper kites out of toilet paper and string to sell for 5 cents a piece.

“He was a character,” said Tim Rosa. “He could be reckless and one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.”

The elder Rosa joined the Coast Guard shortly before the outbreak of World War II and was eventually called up for the Navy. His ship, the USS Serpens, was part of the Bougainville Campaign during land and sea battles in the South Pacific between the Allied forces and Japan.

Rosa was promoted to chief petty officer and transferred from the Serpens in 1945, weeks before the freighter exploded while the crew loaded depth charges into the holds and killed 250 men. It remains the worst disaster in Coast Guard history.

After leaving the service, Rosa started a roofing company in Los Angeles with brothers Jimmie and Augie. At its peak, Rosa Bros. Roofing employed 58 people and was the second largest roofing company in town.

Prior to selling the company in 1996, Rosa also invested in real estate and a shrimp farm in Ecuador, owned a travel agency, and opened a mini-warehouse business that allowed him to conveniently retreat to Las Vegas.

As a self-proclaimed heavy drinker and smoker until his 70s, Rosa played golf regularly at Paiute Golf Resort until he was 99 years old. Friends recall that Rosa was known for his generous tips for waitresses and friendly conversations with almost everyone he met.

“He was amazing and he was a tough, tough son of ab-” said Clay. “But he also had a softer side and really cared about people.”

Rosa leaves behind the younger brother Jimmie, three children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

At his request, Rosa is cremated. A private memorial ceremony will take place at a time to be determined.

Contact Mathew Miranda at mmiranda@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mathewjmiranda on Twitter.