TEMPE, AZ — A missing class ring, a remarkable story of perseverance and a love that never faded.
For George Rose Sr., an ASU class ring is much more than a reminder of his college years. It's a lasting connection to his late wife, Frances, who gave it to him as a surprise gift decades ago.
The ring slipped off George's finger 22 years ago, falling deep into an elevator shaft at an office building in Tempe.
At the time, building maintenance workers couldn't find it. George eventually assumed someone had discovered the gold ring and cashed it in.
But the ring wasn't gone for good.
An elevator maintenance worker recently discovered it lodged deep inside the shaft. After noticing George's name engraved inside, the worker was able to reunite him with the long-lost keepsake.
The reunion brought back memories of the woman who gave it to him and the journey that made the ring so meaningful in the first place.
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Frances had surprised George with the ring after he persevered through college, earning his bachelor's degree in journalism from Arizona State University at 42 years old.
That achievement was even more remarkable because George was legally blind. After losing his longtime job with the U.S. Postal Service following a diagnosis that caused tunnel vision, he decided to return to school and pursue a new path.
He didn't let his circumstances stop him. George earned his degree and continues to write stories and songs today.
Frances was there through that journey. The couple raised four children together and were married for 39 years before she died from kidney cancer at just 57 years old.
George still remembers their time together down to the minute.
For him, the ring is a constant reminder of her love.
Now, 22 years after it disappeared, George has it back. He says he hopes to lose a few more pounds so he can wear it on the finger where it belongs.
And while the ring may have started as a symbol of his college achievement, its meaning has grown over the years.
It's a reminder of the woman who believed in him, the challenges he overcame and a love that, even after all this time, remains.
