Lost ASU Class Ring Found After 22 Years
An elevator maintenance worker in Tempe recovered a ring that slipped off George Rose Sr.'s finger decades ago.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Human Interest
An elevator maintenance worker in Tempe recovered George Rose Sr.'s Arizona State University class ring from an elevator shaft, 22 years after it slipped off his finger and fell in. The worker identified Rose from the name engraved inside and returned the ring to him.
Why it matters
The ring was not found when building maintenance workers first searched for it, so its recovery came only after a chance discovery during later work. It reconnects Rose with a gift from his late wife, Frances, who presented it to him after he earned his degree.
The ring was lost 22 years before recovery, after Rose had been legally blind for part of that time. The source does not give a date for when the elevator maintenance worker found it or details of the search that followed.
The players
George Rose Sr.
A former Arizona State University student who earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at age 42 and lost his class ring in a Tempe office building elevator shaft.
Frances Rose
George Rose Sr.'s wife of 39 years, who gave him the ring as a surprise gift after he earned his degree and died from kidney cancer at age 57.
Arizona State University
The Tempe-based public research university whose class ring Rose lost and whose journalism program he completed in his forties.
The details
The ring slipped off Rose's finger and fell into an elevator shaft at an office building in Tempe. Maintenance workers could not locate it at the time, and it remained lodged deep in the shaft until an elevator maintenance worker discovered it and returned it to him.
Timeline
The ring was lost 22 years before its recovery.
Frances Rose gave George Rose Sr. the ring as a surprise gift after he earned his degree at age 42.
The elevator maintenance worker recovered the ring in a more recent discovery.
Culture Shift
Class rings have long marked university milestones as lasting personal keepsakes rather than purely institutional mementos. This recovery shows how a graduation symbol can outlast decades and be reclaimed by the person who earned it.
Anyone who has misplaced a keepsake in a building may find this a useful reminder to report losses promptly to facilities staff. The story also shows that a name engraved inside a ring can make a recovery possible years later.
The takeaway
Engraving your name inside a valued item can help it be returned if it is ever lost, even decades later. Reporting a lost item to building staff as soon as possible also improves the chances of recovery.
Further reading
Explore more human interest stories from across Tempe.
Source note: This article includes information reported by abc15 Arizona.
