From Across the World, Rose Pignone Makes A Home At Corner Of Magnolia And Oak

Standing at the corner of Magnolia and Oak, you'd never know how far Rose Pignone has come. But how could you? Crossing a street is barely enough time for the Robin Hood Elementary School children to say "Hi Miss Rose" to the Stoneham crossing guard of almost 30 years.

But if there was more time, what a story they'd hear.

Born Tae Pok Ro on March 1, 1939, she was a teenager when she got on an overcrowded fishing boat in North Korea with 100 others, including her cousin, with one suitcase, and escaped to South Korea. She left her parents that day, never to see them again.

A few years later she was working as a waitress at an Army Officers club in Incheon, South Korea, when she joined a friend for breakfast. At the same table was an overworked Army pharmacist from Stoneham, Frank Pignone. His sergeant had invited Frank to breakfast while the sergeant's girlfriend had invited Rose. Frank had no idea the table for three was actually four.

"I couldn't even breathe and I knew then she was going home with me," said Pignone of his reaction to seeing Rose. "This girl was really special. I didn't even know Rose was going to show up. It was September, 1964. I'll never forget the day."

It was love at first sight for Frank. Not so much for Rose. But she said yes when Frank asked her on a date.

"I was a lowly private first class, and she had never dealt with a person of my rank. I asked her to play bingo at an NCO Club. She didn't talk to me all night," he said.

But that didn't stop him. On the cab ride home Frank asked Rose if he could call on her again. The response? "If you wish."

The next night Frank went back to the house where he had dropped Rose off. But the residents had never heard of her. He went door-to-door asking, and still no one knew Rose. He eventually found her playing cards at a home far away from where he had dropped her off.

It turns out, when Frank drove off in the first cab, Rose got into a second cab and went to her real home.

"In other words, she wanted nothing to do with me at all," said Frank.

That didn't stop him. They would go out again, but there were rules. Rose made Frank walk 20 feet behind her because she didn't want to be seen walking with an American GI. And at movies she made him sit two rows behind her.

"We fell in love eventually," said Frank.

They were married at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea in June of 1965. The process took six months and included interviews, X-rays and letters from home, even U.S. Army Intelligence. Rose had worked for Korean Intelligence and marriage to an American created questions.

A few months later they were married again, this time at St. Paul's Star of the Sea Orphange in Incheon, a Catholic Church. Frank's mom wanted the marriage to happen in Stoneham. Rose wanted South Korea. Rose won.

But Rose wasn't Catholic, which meant she had sacraments to fulfill. So on the day they were married a second time, Rose was baptized in the morning and had first communion in the afternoon. Now ready to go, they were married later that day. Three sacraments in one day.

In December of 1965 they traveled to America and settled down in Stoneham.

Now fast forward to March 1, 2017, and all is good outside Robin Hood Elementary. Miss Rose, as the children call her, is the longest serving current crossing guard in Stoneham, and for the last three years she's been at her post every day outside Robin Hood, one of three elementary schools in town. The kids don't take days off, and neither does she. On the day she spoke with a reporter, it was her 78th birthday. "It's only an hour," she said.

Rose began as a crossing guard in 1988, moving around wherever she was needed. She spent almost three years at the South Elementary School, and 22 at the Central Middle School, manning her post at the top of Washington Street at the Pomeworth Playground. All told she's been a crossing guard in town for almost 30 years.

"Some friends knew I was interested in working with children," said Rose, explaining how it all came to be. "So I called the police station, and they said, alright if you want it, come over and test a little bit and put in an application. Then they called me to come to work. And I enjoyed working with the children. They think it's hard to deal with, but I get along so good. I enjoy the children. I get along so good."

Even with a few seconds to chat, Rose makes it a point to connect.

"I always say 'Good morning,' and 'you guys have a nice day. You have a happy day and you learn more.' The children are attached to me. Parents, too. Everybody is different, but over here parents are nice, really nice."

In between her two-hour-long shifts, Rose keeps busy. She and Frank owned the old Baskin Robbins in Stoneham where Rose took up cake decorating. She became so good at it that she received a national award from Baskin Robins, the Golden Scoop Award, at a ceremony in New York City. She also had a business arranging flowers and spent time volunteering at the Arnold House Retirement Home.

"I go volunteer and spend time with all the people, teaching how to knit, how to crochet, how to decorate, all those things. I like having something to do," she said. "I'd spend an hour at Arnold House during activity hour teaching them how to knit."

Rose survived breast cancer in 1994 and is an expert when it comes to surviving our weather.

"Where I come from is very dry weather, not wet," said Rose, who has two sons with Frank and three grandchildren. "I have a trash bag. You cut here, cut here, and put it inside and even if you're soaking wet, they don't go through you. Trash bag is plastic so they protect. It's warm too. Wind doesn't go through. I taught everybody. In cold, weather hand warmers, feet warmers. If you keep walking, feet are alright, but the hand warmers, we put them on."

At an age most are retired, it's clear what keeps her going.

"Some times I am tired, but when I come working with children, have a nice day, good morning, things that make me happy with them. I like all the kids. They're so cute."

Rose's journey covered almost 7,000 miles, but these days she's only concerned about the distance the children travel as they safely cross Oak.

"The town loves her," said Frank. "The whole town loves her. I'm very proud of her. It's about her journey. Everyone knows Rose Pignone."

Photo by Bob Holmes, Patch staff