Rosella M. Flanders

FLANDERS, Rosella M. (née Schaefer), age 101, of Centerville, OH, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2026, at St. Leonard CHI Living Communities.

Born on May 13, 1925, in Dayton, OH, Rosella was the beloved daughter of Charles and Dorcas (Poling) Schaefer. She attended Roosevelt High School and devoted much of her professional life to the Kettering City Schools.

A woman of deep faith, Rosella was a charter member of the Church of the Ascension in Kettering and continued her spiritual journey after moving to the St. Leonard community in 2014.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband of 69 years, James Flanders; her sisters, Kathleen Ward and Charlene Ball; sisters-in-law, Audrey Eichelberger and Gloria Welton; her brother-in-law, Elwood Welton; her son-in-law, Richard Burton; her granddaughter, Michelle (Banford) Kloda; and her great-grandson, Joshua MacNichol.

Rosella's greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her six loving children: Nancy Burton, James (Paula) Flanders, John Flanders, Thomas (Katherine) Flanders, David (Susan) Flanders, and Cynthia Hopf. Her legacy lives on through 14 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, and a growing number of great-great-grandchildren, spanning five generations.

Family and friends are invited to gather for visitation on Tuesday, October 20, from 10:00am to 11:00am at St. Leonard Chapel, 8100 Clyo Rd., Centerville, OH 45458. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am at the same location. Interment will follow at Heritage Hills Memory Gardens, Springboro, Ohio.