Chessie, I don’t know where you garden or what kind of climate you’re planning to plant this rose in, but here are several to check out and see if they fit your needs: Julia Child, Quest for Zest and The Poet’s Wife. In climates where disease pressure is high, you will need a rose that’s disease resistant.

There really isn't a yellow rose which doesn't fade, at least to some degree. In what city and state Zone 9 are you located? It makes a difference as far as possible disease resistance. An arid, hot Zone 9 will cause the flowers to fade faster but the plant is more likely not to contract most fungal diseases. A damper, wetter Zone9 will probably allow the petal colors to last longer but the foliage is more likely to black spot.

I agree Poet's Wife is really pretty and it does fade, but I think it fades in an attractive way. I have a Larger Than Life from Jackson & Perkins that I like. I don't think it's available for purchase at the moment, except in tree form, but might be next year. My plant is very young but I was happy with it this summer. There is a sister plant called Chantilly Cream that is also nice. There's also a new rose being released next year called Be Good that looks promising. Like roseseek and judi mentioned, yellows are tricky. I'm really sorry for his/your loss. Saying goodbye to a dog is terrible.

St Patrick is a good yellow HT that will thrive in any zone 9 location.

I agree with others that knowing where your zone 9 friend is could make a big difference. Also, whether you're thinking of a classic HT or FL, or an Austin or similar rose.

Ken,

St. Patrick is a black spotter here in my warm/humid summers, big time. It does hold its yellow color well. Hopefully, Chessie's BF lives were it's dry, in which case St. Patrick would be a good fit.

Moses.

I don’t grow Quest for Zest personally, Chessie, but I hear great things about this one. It has Julia Child in its ancestry and I would love to grow it myself.

Molineux is a strong yellow and a well shaped shrub that stays a shrub in Zone 10. The San Francisco Rose Garden not far from me has a mature sized one; I have a now three gallon sized one that I bought as a band this summer — both had the same true yellow blooms this year. However, we don’t get months of heat, just months of fog :).

Sorry for the loss of your buddy. Below are some yellows with good coloring and garden performance for me:

Henry Fonda is the richest, most yellow rose I’ve grown, and holds color well.

Mellow Yellow is a bit fluffier than Henry, not quite as deep in color, but perhaps the most colorfast yellow.

St Patrick is a medium yellow that holds well and lasts extremely long.

Larger than Life is more a medium yellow, the biggest , most impressive high quality bloom on a strong plant, fast becoming my favoirte yellow.