Gift of a Lifetime -- Nicole Rose

Gift of a Lifetime

Nicole Rose

On her 30th birthday, family and friends toast Nicole's zest for life,
her infectious smile and devotion to loved ones.

Nicole's friends say she finds the joy in life and spreads it to others.

Nicole Rose has that special spirit that comes along so rarely in life. According to her grandmother, Dorie Aul, it appeared early on. "She had a cherubic face topped by lots of black hair, but I remember how furiously she screamed if her bottle was just one second late. All too quickly she blossomed into a darling teenager, a studious college girl and a beautiful bride. She is beautiful, loving, humorous, helpful and generous with her time, whether it be taking us to the airport or bringing me my glasses when I was in the hospital."

Her mother, Trisha Doss, says Nicole "possesses all the charm, drama, and complexity of her namesake: Fitzgerald's heroine, Nicole Diver in Tender Is The Night, as well as the feistiness and elegance of my grandmother, Marguerite Hall. The men in her life: her father, Hank; her stepfather, Brad, and her husband, Mike, gave Nicole their names and their hearts. From what I can tell, they don't want them back. If I could design the perfect daughter, it would be the one I have: Nicole."

Brad and Trish Doss consider Nicole to be "the perfect daughter."

Brad Doss remembers Nicole's first words to him "when Trisha and I returned from our honeymoon and I walked through the door: 'You're not going to live in my house!' Thus began our wonderful relationship. Through the years, she learned how to have a good time, how to party, how to put water in the vodka bottle so we wouldn't think she had been into it and she figured out life. My best memory is one night we were at a party at her house and she called me over to introduce me to some of her friends from work. She said, 'This is my Father.' It was the happiest moment of my life."

Nicole's father, Hank Ciocca, loves "two traits that reflect the essence of her character: her gritty determination and her talent for making people smile. Working through her intense fear of flying, as well as dedicating herself to a rigid physical workout routine, are prime examples of her will to overcome all obstacles. Her readiness to compliment others, combined with her sensitivity to their needs, generates a 'feel good' aura around her. I am so very proud of the person she is and the contributions she makes to everyone she touches."

Her brother, Clayton Doss, says "Nicole is the world's greatest sister. She has always been there for me, from advising against evil, manipulative Indian girls to enjoying many, many glasses of wine and wheat-thins with our extended family members. She is fun, witty, successful and charming. I am incredibly proud of Nicole."

Ann Marie Dobbs has known Nicole since the fourth grade and remembers the "Michael Jackson dance routine we put together for her parents. She is such a loving, giving person -- extrememly intelligent and fun to be around."

Jessica Clark met Nicole in ninth grade and wrote a poem for her birthday. An excerpt: There was once a girl named Nicole; She loved to Rock 'n' roll; She taught me to smoke; And we made lots of jokes; About that loser Pat. Nicole remained loyal and kind. She is the best listener, advice giver and friend. And when you dance, I hope it never ends."

Catherine Gammon says, "Nicole is one of the most giving, considerate, loyal, trustworthy, honest and enjoyable-to-be-around people I know. She is the epitome of what it means to be a true friend. She is warm, caring and sensitive. Nicole loves life and life loves Nicole. There is a light of joy that shines inside of her that she is able to share with all around. She never meets a stranger and has a way of making everyone feel important and special. But Nicole is the special one."

Amy Andrews says she loves Nicole because "she is as crazy as I am and makes it okay to be a complete lunatic. Nicole knows how to find the joy in life and she's able to show me how too."


	Mike Rose says Nicole was "so sweet and cute." Friends such as Catherine Gammon and Christine Butler say Nicole shows them how wonderful life and friendship can be.

Juli Shaw says Nicole "inspired me to embrace life more with her unique and passionate ways and has shown me how wonderful good friends can be."

Christine Butler says "Nicole is my best friend, advisor and dance partner, my touchstsone and shoulder to cry on and full of life and love and generosity."

Elizabeth and Kim Peterson remember when Nicole arrived at WGST for her summer internship. "She was sweet, innocent, smart, adorable and a real lady. When I asked about her goal for the future, she beamed 'I want to be some rich man's trinket.' Then she started dating Mikey and we all knew she also had a great sense of humor!"

Jill and Sean Hannity recall "Mike started dating interns even before Clinton did, and Mike married his intern. We need an intern protection agency!"

Mike Rose remembers being "an older man who usually did not prey on the fresh crop of interns, but when I met Nicole, she was so cute and sweet, I overcame my hesitation to get involved in a serious relationship. We went to a Braves game, but at the time I was driving a car without air conditioning so we took her car down to the game. She paid for her own beer. Clearly, I did not have great dating skills.

"During the game, I actually talked to her and listened to her. She went to many Braves games with guys that summer. She later said that I was the only guy who listened to her instead of paying attention to the game. We left early and went to Eddie's Attic and had great conversation about my story and her story," Mike said.

"Several dates later, we were in love. Everyone told her it would never work because of my age and her age and our very different backgrounds. She was Catholic. I was Jewish. She had a family background with money. I did not. Certainly, a law or medical student would have been better suited for her. She never let anyone stop her from doing what she felt was right for her and what she needed in her life.

"I am often reminded of a line at the end of one of Nicole's favorite movies: 'Say Anything,' " Mike says. "The Iona Skye character says to the John Cusack character. 'No one believes we can do this,' and his response is 'You just described every great success story.' "

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