ROSE, Dr. Harvey L. Beloved father, grandfather, cousin, colleague and doctor, Harvey L. Rose, M.D., enjoyed a rich life and a 45-year career as a Sacramento-area family physician. He became a nationally recognized champion of the rights of chronic pain patients to receive relief and the rights of doctors to treat them without regulatory intrusion. Dr. Rose made his transition Jan. 1, 2008, at home with his daughters at his side after a year-long battle with a rare form of sarcoma. He was 75. Wearing his trademark guayaberas and bolo ties, Dr. Rose devoted his life to his patients, spending unheard of amounts of time with them, calling them with test results every evening and making house calls. Despite chemo treatments and declining health, he rarely missed a day of work. After the state medical board falsely accused him of over-prescribing narcotic pain medications to a handful of patients in the early '80s, Dr. Rose fought back and emerged from the ordeal with an unwavering commitment to protect the rights of both chronic pain patients and doctors willing to prescribe medications, including narcotics, for pain relief when other treatments fail. He worked closely with State Sen. Leroy Greene to write the Intractable Pain Treatment Act and the Pain Patient's Bill of Rights, both signed into law in the '90s, and successfully worked with leaders on similar legislation in Nevada and Oregon. Among numerous accolades, in 1996 he received a Heroes in Healthcare Award from Gov. Wilson and a state Senate resolution honoring his extensive contributions to the compassionate treatment of chronic pain. The only child of working-class Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Harvey was born Aug. 10, 1932, in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles when he was a boy. He earned a bachelor's degree with honors from UCLA and graduated third in his class from USC's school of medicine. After his residency at Sacramento County Hospital, he spent two years in the Air Force as a medical officer at Iraklion Air Station on Crete, where he became fluent in Greek and began a life-long love affair with the Greek culture and people. Upon returning to Sacramento, he began practicing medicine at an office in Town & Country Village; the practice moved to Carmichael in the '70s. In 1962, Harvey met Alice Dow, a schoolteacher, while folk dancing at the Clunie Clubhouse in McKinley Park. They married in 1963 and moved to Arden Park where they raised two daughters. Alice died of breast cancer in 1997. Dr. Rose had a passion for life, the energy of someone half his age and a keen interest in politics. He was a student of metaphysics and mysticism, and had an incredible knowledge of history. He spoke five languages, and traveled throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. He loved to dance and sing, and was equally adept at serving as MC at Camellia Folk Dance festivals in the '70s and talking about holistic healing treatments at conferences held by the Edgar Cayce Foundation's Association for Research and Enlightenment. He loved animals and opened up his home to dogs and cats that his wife and daughters rescued. For the past several years he enjoyed musical theater, ethnic food festivals and Greek gatherings with companion, Helen Paras. He is dearly loved and will be sorely missed by patients, friends and family, especially daughter, Dianna Rose and grandson, Nathaniel of Seattle, and daughter, Kari Rose Parsell and son-in-law, Reed Parsell of Sacramento. His daughters are creating a memorial website; please e-mail your memories, stories and sentiments about Dr. Rose to diannarz@aol.com. Donations in his memory may be made to the American Pain Foundation (Dr. Harvey L. Rose Memorial Fund), 201 N. Charles St., Suite 710, Baltimore, MD 21201; www.painfoundation.org. Join in a celebration of his life at 5:30pm on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Christ Unity Church, 9249 Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento.