Dr. Rosanne Kirts, 79, of Sioux Falls passed away on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Sioux Falls. Her memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory in Sioux Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Feeding South Dakota, an organization Rosanne volunteered for and meant a great deal to her.
Rosanne Marie was born in Sioux Falls to William and Opal Fitzgerald on Feb. 11, 1947. Rosanne was a lifelong resident of South Dakota. She grew up in Beresford and graduated from Beresford High School in 1965. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of South Dakota in elementary education in 1971. She married David Yost in 1966, and the couple had six children. They made their home in Beresford.
Rosanne was a teacher in the Beresford School District for 22 years. She was an accomplished educator, a school leader and a mentor to students and other educators. Her gift of teaching was used to the fullest measure. Rosanne began her graduate studies in 1993. She was named one of the first mentors in the Professional Development Center program at USD and completed her Ed.D. in 1997, at which time she was recognized by the USD School of Education as “The Mentor of Mentors.”
In 1998, Dr. Kirts moved from Beresford Schools to the University of South Dakota as an assistant professor in the School of Education. In 2003, she earned tenure, as granted by the South Dakota Board of Regents. During her time at USD, she held the posts of assistant chair and chair of her department. In her second year at USD, she was named director of the Professional Development Center. During her tenure as director, the program served many school districts and over 400 South Dakota teachers. Dr. Kirts retired from USD in 2012. The South Dakota Board of Regents passed a special resolution on June 21, 2012, thanking her for her excellent service to the PDC, to USD and to many South Dakota schools, and named her Professor Emerita. An additional honor was added in 2018, as Rosanne was inducted into the Beresford Watchdog Hall of Fame. Being recognized at “home” meant a great deal to her.
In November 2012, Rosanne married Alan Kirts. The couple bought a home in Sioux Falls, and she relished several happy years with the love of her life.
The most important thing in Rosanne’s life was her family. Although she was always a very busy professional, family came first. And it was a busy life with six sons! Their needs and activities were always central to her life, and she supported them in countless ways. Having them at the same school at which she was teaching was one of her greatest pleasures. Her love of both reading and music was shared with all her children and became vital to all of their lives. Rosanne always spoke of the wonderful “girls” she was lucky enough to get when her sons found their life partners and was so grateful for the addition of grandchildren. She never passed up a chance to care for her grandchildren or attend their important life activities. Sunday dinners and holiday and birthday celebrations were a source of great love and pride. With a loving husband, children and grandchildren, her life was complete!
Grateful for having shared her life are six sons, Christopher Yost (Lisa) of Aberdeen; “Honorary Yost” Thomas Likely (Sarah) of Sioux Falls; Andrew Yost (Jennifer) of Pipestone, Minn.; Jesse Yost (Laura) of Sioux Falls; Matthew Yost (Amy Jo) of Wagner; Daniel Yost (Noemie) of Bonham, Texas; and William Yost (Marianne) of Chicago; four grandchildren, Flyn Yost, Ella Yost, Emma Yost and Lydia Yost; two stepchildren, Alex Kirts (Courtney) of Denver and Kate Stevens (Sean) of Minneapolis; and two brothers, Robert Fitzgerald (Gayle) of Raleigh, N.C., and Richard Fitzgerald (Daleen) of Oracle, Ariz. She was preceded in death by her husband and by her parents, Opal and William Fitzgerald.
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