Orono – James "Jim" Stephenson Rose, 98, passed away peacefully at home in Orono Maine on September 20, 2024. He was born James Bruce Stephenson "BS" Rose in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on July 9, 1926, to James Bruce Rose and Rosella (Lanigan) Rose. He grew up during the Great Depression, between Quebec City, Quebec and Halifax Nova Scotia, entering his teens as the world was engulfed by World War II. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and went through basic training, but the war ended before his advanced training commenced. After the war Jim continued with his college studies at Dalhousie university where he received a BSc in organic chemistry in 1948. After completing his Bachelor's degree he started a Masters' at Dalhousie when he met Gillian Bidwell his future wife. Before finishing his Masters' he was accepted into the PhD organic chemistry program at Yale, where he completed a PhD and post-doc in organic chemistry. He married Gillian Bidwell in 1952 while working on his PhD. Their first daughter Elizabeth Mary "Beth" was born in 1955, followed by their second daughter Helen in 1957, who was born with significant health issues that led to her death in 1959. In 1961 their first son James Edward was born followed by their second son Hugh Stephenson in 1964. Jim had a long and distinguished career in pharmaceutical research, developing the first process for synthesizing Vitamin E, and working on many drugs that helped humans while doing research for Upjohn. Later in his career he became disenchanted with big pharma, and attended night school to study patent law. After years of night school he assumed a new position at Upjohn writing patents on polymer chemicals. Near the end of his career Dow Chemical bought the polymer chemical division of Upjohn and his patent law knowledge of polymer chemicals was so valuable that he was part of the sale. Jim retired in his early 60's from Dow Chemical and spent the first few years of retirement helping his daughter Beth with her farm in upstate New York. After Beth's premature death in 1994, James and Gillian spent the next 15 years traveling, finally moving to Orono Maine in 2013 to be close to their son Jim, and they have been part of this community ever since. Over the last 10 years in Orono, they met and befriended many wonderful people. Jim was a loving husband to Gillian for 72 years and had a special place in his heart for cats and dogs and the many wild animals that roamed the woods of Maine including chipmunks. He went on many camping adventures with his family as his boys were growing up, exploring the backwoods of maritime Canada and the Northeast United States, instilling a love of nature and animals in his boys. In addition to his parents, Jim is predeceased by his daughters Helen and Beth and his sister Helen. He is survived by his wife of 72 years Gillian of Orono, Maine, his son Jim of Orono and son Hugh of Fairbanks, Alaska, as well as his two grandsons Angus of Portland Maine and Cameron of Salida Colorado. Although Jim lived in many places he considered Halifax, Nova Scotia as his home. A celebration of life will be held at the Caribou Bog Outdoor Center at Neuman Hill on Friday November 8 from 5-7pm. Friends and family are invited to share their favorite story about Jim while enjoying light refreshments. The family would like to thank St. Joseph Hospice for their kindness during James' final days. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Animal Orphanage in Old Town Maine. As Jim said in his final hours "let's blow this clambake!"