In his early years (1930 - 1963) he lived on the east coast. He resided in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts. He was raised in Trenton, New Jersey and graduated from Trenton Central High School in 1948. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College in 1952 and his MS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1958. While at Lafayette he was president of Theta Xi Fraternity, Captain of the varsity swim team, member of the Maroon Key Society and member of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity.  He went on active duty with the US Navy in 1952 and served on the USS Mississippi (EAG 128).  After his discharge from the Navy in 1954 he went to work with the General Electric Company where he held a number of assignments on the east coast in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Schenectady, New York, Pittsfield, Lynn, Fitchburg, and Boston, Massachusetts.  He was principally involved with the application of GE steam and gas turbines in the  industrial and utility industries.  In 1963 he moved from his work in Boston to San Jose where he began working with GE's Nuclear Power Business. He retired from GE in April 1989.

He married Shirley Byham in 1952 and resided on the East Coast. In 1963 he moved his family to Fall River Drive, San Jose CA in the Almaden Valley. Prior to the move to California, his daughter Katherine was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, his son Jim was born in Schenectady, New York, his daughter Jane was born in Danvers, Massachusetts, and his daughter Nancy was born in Natick, Massachusetts. Daughter Molly was born in the front seat of the Chevy on the way to O'Conner Hospital in San Jose. All five of his children graduated from Leland High School and they all graduated from California Universities. The family spent many summers camping up and down the coast of California. His happiest times were with his family and he seldom missed a family event.  This continued on with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He moved to Gilroy, California in 2004 to be near his large family.

His career with The General Electric Company included work in design engineering, application engineering, market research, sales, product service, contracts, and a variety of management assignments including Manager of Marketing for GE's Nuclear Services Businesses.  In the late 60's he left GE and assumed the position of Vice President of The Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) headquartered in San Jose. He returned to GE in 1972 and continued working with GE until his retirement. He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts and California and a Life Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  His career with GE and NPC took him to Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, and many sites in the United States.

During his retirement he was active in several organizations including Sons In Retirement Society (SIRS), Pine Ridge Association (PRA), Bay Area Garden Railroad Society (BAGRS), Senior Elfun Society, American Legion, US Masters Swimming, US Tennis Association, Tarantula Jug Band, and Retirees Invitational Golf Group. He was Captain of the Almaden Masters swim team, where he was a nationally ranked Masters Swimmer, and  served on the board of directors of the Almaden Swim and Racquet Club and the Almaden Valley Counseling Service.

His volunteer work during retirement included working as a Senior Docent at Henry Coe State Park, tutoring students to assist them in passing  the California High School Mathematics Exit Exam, and providing art work for inclusion in books, pamphlets, bulletins and magazines for various organizations. He also enjoyed writing articles under the pen name "Old Turtle". His volunteer work earned him The Good Egg Award from the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce and The Board of Education Excellence Award from The Gilroy Unified School District.

He traveled extensively with his wife Shirley and his second wife, Margaret.  Shirley and Rosse loved to travel and found time to enjoy many places such as Acapulco, Papeete, Hamilton, Tokyo, Taipei, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Basel, Maui, Halifax, and Banff. They especially enjoyed the beach house at Pajaro Dunes. Rosse and Margaret  especially enjoyed sailing on cruise ships and  went on more than a dozen cruises together where they loved to ballroom dance. Their favorite place was Pacific Grove. During his life he worked with the Boy Scouts, was a Sunday School teacher and was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and Moderator in The United Church of Christ.

His married children are Katherine Hemeon and husband David Ransom, Jim Hemeon and wife Margie, Jane Hemeon and husband Bill Jones, Nancy Been and husband Andy, and Molly Leach and husband Greg. His grandchildren are Penny Schwinn and husband Paul, Katy Sully and husband Kevin, Ben Hemeon and wife Karlie, Lindsay Fortino and husband Daniel, Matthew Hemeon and wife Hayley, Dani Hemeon and husband Adam Perez,  Kelly Been, AJ Been, Megan Leach and her husband Kevin, Sarah Leach and husband Dylan Habing, and Emma Leach. Great grandchildren are Brady Hemeon, Ryan Hemeon, Cori Hemeon, Ellie Schwinn, Abigail Schwinn, Jack Schwinn, Bennett Sully, McKenna Sully, Myles Sully, Cadence Fortino, Jude Fortino, Riley Fortino, Lilly Mae Noto, Logann Jewell Hemeon, Oliver Noto, and Lucy Habing.

There will be a Celebration of Life on June 10th at 11:00AM at Gilroy United Methodist Church. Reception to follow at 6415 Riverview Circle, Gilroy, California 95020.