Frances Rose Hull Terrill (known as Rose) died on September 19 at her home in San Jose, California, surrounded by her family. She was 88.
She was born in Connecticut on March 25, 1925 to Daniel R. and Margaret L. Hull and spent many summers on the Vineyard where her parents rented God’s Pocket (the Luce House) in West Tisbury. Her parents later purchased the Joshua Slocum house. The Vineyard was Rose’s favorite place to be and she visited as often as she could.
Rose was a graduate of Middlebury College and held a masters degree in library science, which she earned after returning to school at San Jose State in her mid fifties. Rose loved her years at Middlebury where she was a member of the women’s ski team. She met her husband, Bob Terrill, at Middlebury and they were married in 1949. Bob’s job at Chevron Oil took them to Salt Lake City. During her years in Utah she skied often and taught all four of her children to ski.
After moving to San Jose, California Rose began playing tennis at a nearby tennis club and in 1976 tennis became her passion for the rest of her life. For a time she taught tennis through the Parks and Recreation Department while taking lessons from numerous professionals herself. She played league tennis at AVAC for many years and in 1999 joined the USTA. She was a nationally ranked tennis player into her late eighties, often playing and beating players significantly younger than herself. Her 2012 final ranking was 3.0. She played right up until just a few short months of her death. Since 2004, at the age of 76, she had played 200 USTA League matches; and had joined 32 teams in all USTA leagues in addition to playing numerous local and regional tournaments.
She also found much time to spend with her grandchildren — sharing her love of reading; taking them on adventures far and wide; giving them a love of healthy food; sharing her own love of learning, curiosity, and her boundless loving, generosity and kindness.
She took great delight in her family, tennis, books, travel, cooking, art, antiques, and wildflowers. When she was not playing tennis or helping to take care of her grandchildren she was hiking, jogging, or doing Yoga. Rosie, as she was known by her friends, was vivacious, energetic, intellectually curious, and possessed a wonderful sense of humor. She will be very much missed by all who loved and knew her.
She was predeceased by her husband, Robert C. Terrill and her siblings, Daniel Hull, Richard L. Hull and Julia Hull Beecher.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Barbara Hull of West Tisbury, and her children, Margo Terrill of Bellingham, Washington, Dana and Kimberly (Marooney) Terrill of San Jose, Calif., Julia Terrill Bell and her partner, Patrick Ryan, of San Leandro, Calif.; Roger Terrill of San Jose; three grandchildren, Robert Terrill and Kelly and Brian Smith; as well as many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and friends on the Vineyard and other parts of the country.
A memorial service will be held in the West Tisbury Congregational Church on Friday, November 1 at 2 pm with a reception at the church. There will be a private burial in the West Tisbury Cemetery.
