Essick was a memorable teacher, endearing friend

Friends and former students reminisced this week about Rose Essick, saying she was deeply religious, gracious and never afraid to offer her opinion. The longtime Burbank resident and educator died April 11. She was 91.

Rose Lydia Koumjian was born May 28, 1923 in Hollywood. She graduated from Hollywood High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA. She was hired as a fourth-grade teacher at Emerson Elementary School in Burbank. She met and married John Essick, and they bought their Burbank home in the early 1950s.

The couple had two boys and spent summer vacations camping throughout the United States. After the boys were grown, the couple continued to travel throughout North America, Europe and South America before John’s death in 1997.

Elaine Thomas knew Essick for many years in the Burbank University Women, but it wasn’t until a Christmas party that they discovered Thomas and her twin sister had been in Essick’s class at Emerson. During a mixer game, the women exchanged background information including their maiden names. Essick remembered the name and asked Thomas if she had a twin and, of course the answer was “yes.”

Joan Chandler, president of La Providencia Guild, had always wondered what happened to her favorite teacher. It was by chance that she mentioned the teacher’s maiden name to Thomas, and she told her that Essick was in her University Women’s group. The two reconnected.

As a teacher, Chandler remembered Essick had encouraged her students to speak in front of the class whether it was “Show and Tell” or sharing news clippings on current events.

Marcia Baroda, another member of the University Women, recalled Essick was staunch supporter of the Released Time School of Christian Education in the 1980s. That program allowed elementary students to be dismissed from class one hour a week to receive Bible education.

Essick was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood for almost 70 years and taught Sunday school there.

She is survived by her son, John and his wife, Katie, of Portland, Ore., their children, Eden of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Wade and Devon, both of Portland; and son Peter and his wife, Jackie, of Stone Mountain, Ga., and their son, Jalen.

A private family burial at Forest Lawn in Glendale will be followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m. on May 30 at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood.

Contributions may be made to the Rose Essick Youth Fund, First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood, CA 90028.