Rose (Lastella) Stites, age 77, died on March 6, 2021 at her home in Smithfield, NC. Rose was born in Leominster, MA, on May 19, 1943; the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Esposito) Lastella. She was preceded in death by her son, William Benedict.

As a child, Rose would wander around the land that surrounded her home and pick flowers. You could always find her happily raking one of the many gardens her mother planted. At the age of seven Rose planted her very first garden and was amazed to see actual radishes when she'd pull them out of the ground.

Rose was a graduate of Lunenburg High School in 1961, and lived as a homemaker in Lunenburg, MA until 1982, and later moved to Fitchburg, MA; Daytona Beach, FL; Port Orange, FL; Macon, GA; and multiples places in North Carolina.

Throughout her life, she was very creative and enjoyed gardening and crafting. She worked as a clerical worker and office manager at Maki's Building Supply in Lunenburg, MA, as a church secretary, and worked at Juvenile Justice in Florida. She spent many happy hours in the gardens she planted in various homes. Rose possessed many creative craft skills including sewing, rug braiding, flower pressed art, and designing doll houses.

It was also common for her to share her many creations with the people around her, whether it be gifts for her family and friends or items she would sell at craft fairs.

Besides her husband Richard Stites, she leaves behind her brother, Rocco (Carolyn) Lastella of Lunenburg, MA; her daughter, Bonnie (Norman) Arsenault of Jacksonville, NC; son, Tony (Lisa) Benedict of Durham, NC; five grandchildren, Sarah (David) Danevich of Raleigh, NC; Benjamin (Ashlie) Arsenault of Grovetown, GA; Gwen (Thomas) Chavez of Swansboro, NC; Jeffrey Benedict of Townsend, MA; and Nicholas Benedict of Nacogdoches, TX; and seven great grandchildren.