In Memory of Neale Rosanoski (1942-2021)

Last modified: 2021-08-07 by pete loeser
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Neale Rosanoski Photo provided by his sister, Jude Dinsdale

Neale Rosanoski 1942-2021 Born 1942 in Otaki, New Zealand - passed away in his sleep in April of 2021 in Levin. He was 79 years old. We are pleased to have known him. I have recently been informed that Neale Rosanoski died in April of 2021. Long-time list members will remember Neale as the provider of hundreds of shipping line flags and funnel markings, often with supporting information about the shipping lines themselves. Neale lived in New Zealand, but even there he managed to amass a collection of over 12,000 flags and funnel markings. Through correspondence with his sister following his death, I have learned that Neale was an avid collector, and not just of shipping line flags! He also had a large collection of Lladro figurines and of kilts - quite the eclectic assortment, particularly given that he never married, lived alone and had no Scottish ancestry! Neale worked as an accountant at the Union Steam Ship Company in Wellington and Lyttelton from age 18 years. He "retired" at an early age and relocated his original home area of Levin, the past 7 years in a retirement village following a debilitating stroke in 2016. Neale sent over 23,299 files on shipping lines flags and funnels! For each shipping line, he provided a graphic and a text files representing over 12,000 companies. Neale "signed off" from communication with FOTW shortly after his stroke, but he graciously provided to his zipped 400 MB collection to FOTW for safe-keeping It can be downloaded from here. Rob Raeside, 4 August 2021

Messages from/for his FOTW Family and Friends:

Every time I visited Neale we always discussed the flags. I am sorry he didn't move to be nearer to me as I was the favourite sister (and the only one, by the way). I was a seven hour return trip away. We could have hung out watching ships at our local port in New Plymouth? I used to take photos and send to him, I am not sure what use those photos were hahaha. For security sakes, it's very hard to get close to any shipping now.
Neale was so frustrated by his stroke. Neale's stroke was worse-case scenario. He wasn't expected to live but exceeded all with true grit and determination for the next seven years. He kept active, but his body was failing and he had pain in the right side. He passed in his sleep evidently. His right side was affected, and his speech severely. It was really difficult to have a conversation with him and he tired very quickly. He sold his home and moved into a care-unit (his decision) at a retirement village. His independent life had changed so much, he wasn't used to be manhandled or to have to live by the clock.
The end of an era. It is hard to lose a sibling.
Jude Dinsdale, 3 August 2021

Thank you for informing me of Neale's passing - I suspected that he had not long to be with us, although he was very private about his illness. I am very sorry for your loss, as well as the loss to the vexillological community worldwide.
Neale's collection was phenomenal, and I can assure you that he took care of it while he was still able. He passed the collection along to me for use on FOTW a year or two ago, and I have made it available to a few others in our FOTW community. I have been somewhat negligent in adding it to the FOTW collection, but just two weeks ago I was in contact with a vexillologist in the Netherlands who sounds very excited by it, and is offering to integrate it into our collection. With over 20,000 files, it will take a while, but we are working on it.
Rob Raeside, Director, Flags of the World, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, 4 August 2021

Very sad to hear this. RIP Neale.
James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand, 4 August 2021

It's bad news. Neale was a fine researcher. His work on the flags of shipping companies is a great accomplishment.
Dominique Cureau, Marseille, France, 5 August 2021

Neale's enthusiasm and his passion for searching for and publishing hard to find information about flags of maritime shipping companies, flags of New Zealand, and just flags in general, was an inspiration to many of us. He "really" enjoyed his vexillological studies and that tended to get the rest of us fired up as well. Its hard to find any pages on FOTW about shipping companies and not find some contribution from Neale, whether it be an illustration he found in some rare or little known source, or just a short bit of text related to some obscure company he discovered. I can't imagine the hours he must have spent finding all the contributions he made, but we are certainly richer for his efforts.
My condolences to Jude and her family and friends, Neale has been missed, and will be remembered fondly by many.
Pete Loeser, Morgan Hill, California, USA, 5 August 2021

in memoriam CE 2021